Piece of the Puzzle
by DreamsInColor8
Summary: One night together is all they got. She ended up with a surprise. Years later when they find each other again will it work or will issues get in the way? AU Babefic Rated M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't expecting to do another story, but it happened anyways. This story is different from all my other stories. This is in an **Alternate Universe**. In this story Mrs. Plum isn't horrible and neither is Morelli. While it isn't a Cupcake story, there is no real Morelli bashing. Ranger never got married and divorced. He never had a kid. Steph never got married to Dickie.

_Disclaimer: I don't own the ones you know. They belong to the wonderful Janet Evanovich._

Enjoy!_  
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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

**Steph's POV**

"Yes sir," Carlos says into his phone. I can see his outline in the soft glow of the bathroom light. He got a call in the middle of the night. I don't know what it means, but I don't want him to leave. I'm sitting up at the edge of the bed with the bed covers pooled around me. Right here, in this moment, I feel young and helpless. I just met the man of my dreams, and I fear he'll be taken away. He comes back over to the bed with a sigh on his lips.

"What's wrong?" I ask biting my lip, not sure I want to hear the answer. He looks me in the eyes and tilts my head up. He kisses me softly on the lips and pushes me back on the bed. I don't stop him when he makes love to me again. It's bittersweet. I know something is coming, but I don't know what. Tears leak out of my eyes and he kisses them away.

"Babe," he breathes looking at me with tears in his eyes. Tears that he will never shed; at least not in front of me. I lift my hand and caress his face.

"Carlos," I whisper not daring to ask what's happening. He kisses me and drives me home. He lays back, and I settle in the crook of his arm.

"You know I love you Stephanie." When I nod against him, he continues. "That was my commanding officer in the Rangers. I'm needed on a mission. I have to leave at four." I cling to him.

"I love you," I whisper. I look over at the clock and see that it's two thirty. He squeezes me to him.

"I know we haven't known each other very long, but I can tell you right now, I'll love you for the rest of my life. I've never felt this way before." He chuckles. "I feel like an idiot for saying it, but if I didn't have to go, I'd whisk you off your feet and marry you." Tears sting my eyes at his words. We'd known each other for less than twenty-four hours, but I guess sometimes you just know. I turn and look into his sad dark brown eyes. I promise myself I won't cry until he is gone.

"Make love to me until you have to go," I demand in a whisper hoping he'll give me my last request.

"Of course." And we do. Over and over again until three thirty. Then he gets up and goes into the shower. He takes two minutes and is in his clothes in three. He packs his duffel. He's wearing all black. He drops his duffel in front of the door. I stand up and pull on my shirt and shorts. I go over and he wraps his arms around me.

"I'm not usually a touchy feely sort of guy, but Dios, I don't want to leave," he says, "I've never felt like this before."

"I've never felt like this either," I tell him snuggling into his chest. I inhale his scent and try to memorize him. He squeezes me tighter.

"I'm sorry I have to go," he says. "This is the first time I wish I didn't have to." He looks at his watch and sighs. He lifts my face up and kisses me for all he's worth. My eyes tear up but I can't let him see. I don't want to make it harder for him.

"I'll miss you Babe," he says and his phone beeps. He sighs.

"I have to go." I give him a peck on the lips.

"Go save the world Batman," I say ending in a whisper as my eyes fill with tears. He nods and grabs his duffel. He heads out the door. It closes and I collapse, all my tears spilling. I sob. I can barely breathe. When he left he took the air with him. I drag myself onto the bed and cry myself to sleep. I wake hours later to knocking on the door. I jerk up and I'm not sure where I am for a second. I blink a couple times to wake up fully. I head to the door and open it. Mary Lou's standing there looking a little worried. She gathers me in hug.

"I've been so worried! I called but you didn't answer. Sweetie, you look terrible. What happened to that hunk?" She spits out in a rapid fire.

"Sorry, I was sleeping. He got called off for a mission because he's still active in the military," I tell her. She wraps me in a hug.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry." She says even though she doesn't know the half of it. We had come up to Pennsylvania for our coworker Tina's wedding. The wedding and reception was last night and I met Carlos because he was a date of one of the groom's guests. He had actually come with a date, but we wound up spending the night. A fabulous night. Then...heartbreak. I didn't even know his last name. I spend the night with a guy and I don't even know his last name?

**Two Months Later**

My eyes shoot open and I bolt to the bathroom. My stomach is already heaving and it's not even nine o' clock. Turns out when I slept with Carlos I got pregnant. When I found out I laughed a bit. The lunatic kind of laugh. I barely knew the man and he was off in some god forsaken country. I have no clue if he's coming back or if I'll ever see him again. I've been having terrible morning sickness, but I'm not showing. Mary Lou is the only person who knows. I'm thinking about moving to Newark to be closer to my job and farther away from my parents. I know my mother won't be happy to know I'm pregnant. She'll be even more upset to know that I'm not getting married with a 'burg guy and that I barely know the father. The only thing to remind me of Carlos, besides my baby is a picture of us dancing at the reception. I tried to find out his last name, but no one seemed to know it.

**Five Years Later**

"My daddy's a firefighter," a little girl named Marie says to the class. Her father steps up with a grin on his face and tells us about his job. I look over at Alex. He looks a lot like his father. I'm standing in the back of the classroom with the other mothers. In his hand is the photo of his father, only blown up so it's only Carlos in the picture. It's his turn next and I cross my fingers.

"My daddy can't be here today. He's a hero in the military. I love him very much, even though I haven't met him. This is a picture of him," Alex recites as he smiles holding up the picture of Carlos. My eyes tear up and I feel eyes on me. I'm getting pitying looks, but I decide to ignore them. They have no reason to judge, they don't know what happened. Alex runs up to me and gives my legs a hug. I hug him and tears spill out.

"You did great buddy," I tell him as I pick him up and give him a kiss on the cheek. He looks up at me with a smile on his lips.

"Thanks Mommy. I love you." I hear some sighs in the crowd.

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><p><strong>Carlos' POV<strong>

I'm in my home office staring at a picture of Stephanie. I took it the night we were together, before I was called. She was smiling at me. I haven't seen her in five years, but my heart is still etched with the memory of her. On lonely nights I dream of her. She saved me when the military was kicking my butt. I've tried to find her, but I was never able to get in touch with the people who got married. I realized I never found out her last name. How could I have been such an idiot? Since then I've started a security company with guys who I served with in the military. It's called RangeMan. Everyone calls me Ranger. I got my nickname in the army and it stuck. I have one office building so far, but I'm thinking of building another one in Trenton, New Jersey. A lot of the men have family up there. The one I have now is in Miami. We're doing well enough that I'll be making more money by moving instead of spending more. There's a knock on my door. I put the picture back in the bottom drawer of my desk and go to the door. It's Tank, telling me we have a new client. I nod and put on my suit.


	2. Chapter 2

It's out early! :) With all the reviews I figured I might as well post the next chapter. So, it wasn't many reviews, but they all wanted more. _  
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_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters. Those belong to the famous JE. :) The plot and Alex happen to belong to me though. _

Enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

**Four Years Later**

**Carlos' POV**

"Yes sir, I'm available. When do you need me? Tonight? Okay. For how long? A year? All right." I close my phone and sigh. Another assignment. Tank will be left in charge of the Trenton office. Bobby and Lester will be his seconds. We've been open in Trenton for three years now and I'm liking it better than Miami. We've even been working for a Bail Bonds man named Vincent Plum. A real sleazy guy, but we only do his high bonds. He's not so bad if you don't talk to him much. We mostly deal with Connie, his secretary. And, Tank deals with Lula who files for Vinnie. Tank and Lula have something going on.

I've been sleeping with Jeanne Ellen Burrows, but it's not the same. She's my first...whatever you'd call it... since four years ago. It still breaks my heart to think about, and I'm definitely _not_ the sentimental type. In fact, I prefer no emotions. Can't get hurt then. I go out and walk to Tank's office. I inform him of what's happening. I then make a call to Jeanne.

"I don't think this is going to work out. Don't call." My message is short and to the point. I don't need her waiting for me when I come back. She's a hassle anyways. She's too hard and talks way too much. I'd prefer my women to have a little meat on them, not just muscle. I'm not saying I want all chub, but I don't want to feel like I'm having sex with a guy.

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><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

"This will be good for us Alex," I tell my son as we pack up our house.

"But, I have friends here!" He whines as he puts stuff in a box. I quit my job in Newark because it wasn't enjoyable anymore. We're moving back to Trenton to be closer to family, even if my mother is a little distant.

"You'll make new ones. Besides, you can see Grandpa more. And, your friends, Jake and Michael, Mary Lou's kids," I tell him. He shrugs. "We can also arrange for you to hang out with your old friends." He nods.

"I guess." I stand up and wrap him in a hug. He'll be nine in three months. He continues to look like his father, but only I can tell, since no one else really knew his father.

"We can invite all your old friends up for your birthday and do something really fun," I say to him.

"Do you think my...dad will be there?" he asks looking up at me with hopeful brown eyes. I sigh.

"I haven't seen or spoken to your dad in years. I have no way to get in touch with him," I say. "Sorry Alex." If, I could see him I'd tell him I miss him and I still love him. God, I still love him. Too bad the possibility of me seeing him is so slim. I just have to move on. I've been on a couple dates since Alex was born, but nothing has compared. I wonder where we'd be today if we had been able to stay together. Alex would probably have a daddy and possibly a little sibling.

A week later our car is packed and we're ready to move into our new house. It's not in the burg, but it's close enough that my mom can't complain. It's in a nice neighborhood, and he'll be going to school with Mary Lou's kids. In the same schools I went to. We make it to our new house, and the moving trucks are already in the driveway moving stuff in. My daddy is on the porch supervising. Alex jumps out and goes to hug him. I get out and stretch. It's always good to be home. The day flies by as we get our rooms ready so we can sleep tonight. The movers get everything inside. It's five thirty and about time to go to my parents house for dinner. Hopefully, my mother will be civil, she's done better in the last couple weeks. We get in the car and head to their house. I park and see Grandma Mazur on the porch. I see Alex grin. He thinks she's a hoot. He's right...of course. Grandma Mazur has been living with my parents ever since Grandpa Mazur when up to the big pot roast in the sky.

"Hi BB grandson!" She says giving him a hug like a boa constrictor. She calls him BB grandson with stands for baby baby.

"Hi GG!" he says with a smile. He dodges her when she tries to pinch his cheeks.

"How do I look? I just bought this outfit today. I saw it in a People Magazine. It's supposed to be the new fashion." She's wearing skinny jeans with studs down the sides and a scarlet v-neck t-shirt with rhinestones following the v. I shake my head at my grandma. He laughs.

"You're sparkly!" He runs inside to greet his grandparents. She smiles at me.

"Baby granddaughter!" She gives me a hug. "How you holding up?" I smile.

"I'm good. Alex is a little upset by the move, but I think he'll be okay." She nods and we head inside. Valerie, Albert, and the kids show up a little bit later. I can tell Alex is happy for the company. We all sit down and dig in.

"I hear they're hiring at the tampon factory," my mother mentions casually as she looks at me.

"Too boring," I say, hoping my mom isn't trying to force something on me.

"Yeah," Alex nods his head in agreement. "Mama wants something more fun!" Everyone laughs. No one has filled him in on what a tampon is yet. Alex stops eating and looks at all of us.

"Wait, what's a tampon?" My dad grunts and shovels food in his mouth faster.

"It's something only girls use. You'll know about it when you're older," I explain in the least embarrassing way possible. He ponders it for a moment before shrugging and going back to his food.

"Vinnie might be hiring," my dad says with a smile. I could be a bond enforcement agent, I guess. I don't want to do anything dangerous. Alex needs his mother.

"I'll check it out. He might need filing done or something," I say with a shrug. My mom surprises us all.

"That's not a bad idea," she says with a smile. Once we finish she asks me to help with desert. I wonder if she's going to ambush me about how I live my life. I follow her warily into the kitchen.

"Stephanie," she says turning around and hugging me. "I'm so sorry for how I've treated you in the past. I love you and Alex. I was only trying to help you, but I've realized I was just forcing my opinion onto you. I want to be apart of your life and Alex's." Tears leak out of her eyes, but she wipes them away.

"You're a great and strong mother. I don't think I could do what you do." Tears seem to leak out of my own eyes at her words. I've been waiting for her to say this for so long.

"Thanks Mom, I love you too." She sniffs and wipes away her tears. She pulls back, her hands still on my arms.

"I don't want to push this, but I heard from Angie Morelli the other day. We were talking, and you remember her son Joseph, don't you?" She asks me with a hopeful look. It'd be hard not to forget Joe. We played Choo-choo in his father's garage and he'd been my first. He wrote about it in a stall at Mario's Sub shop and I'd run him over with a Buick. Granted, this was a long time ago. Maybe he had changed, I certainly had.

"Yes, I remember him," I say cautiously. She smiles and looks a tad sheepish.

"Don't get mad, but I mentioned you were moving back. Angie and Joe both know you have a son, but she thought that you might like to get together with him one night. Well, this Tuesday, to be exact. At Shorty's around six thirty," she says it in a hurry, but I catch it all. "It would mean a lot if you said yes, but I'd understand if you didn't want to." Wow, way different from the mother I'd had a couple months ago. Since he probably changed, going out wouldn't hurt. I could see if he was still total jerk or not. I bite my lip.

"All right, I guess that will be fine." She claps and smiles. "Thank you. Now lets get dessert on the table." We put out the pineapple upside down cake and enjoy the rest of the evening. Alex and I leave at seven thirty. He's starting school on Monday and I want to finish unpacking before. We'll have all Saturday and Sunday to work on it. My parents, Grandma Mazur, Valerie and her family, and Mary Lou's family are coming over to help.


	3. Chapter 3

Before you decide to go all mental, yes **Morelli** is in this chapter and in the next one. This **is** a babefic. Just remember that._  
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_Disclaimer: I still don't own the usual suspects. Although, that cute kid named Alex, he belongs to me. :)_

Enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

**Steph's POV**

I wake up at six thirty the next morning and get ready. Then I go downstairs and make breakfast for Alex. I make pancakes. I wake him up at eight to get dressed. Everyone is coming over at nine. He eats quickly and I have to remind him to slow down. I clean up and start sorting through boxes that are marked 'Kitchen'. I get most of the plates and bowls in the cabinets when people start showing up. Alex runs to the car and gets out the boom box. He sets it up in the living room and puts an Aerosmith CD in. He almost likes it as much as I do. We jam out as we unpack. I have ingredients for sandwiches so we can just make them for lunch. Everyone has shown up by nine thirty. The men are setting up the living room. They're getting the TV and DVR set up along with the entertainment system. The women are helping me get the kitchen set up. The kids are helping Alex unpack stuff for his room. We get the kitchen mostly organized and go to see what the men are doing.

"This is such a beautiful house," Mary Lou comments for the hundredth time. She's actually been thinking about moving to the neighborhood.

"Thanks," I say with a smile. We see the men have assembled the cherry mahogany entertainment center. The flat screen TV is in the center. They were even talking about setting up surround sound. We still need to buy a new couch for the room though. All the wood in the house is the same. It's really pretty. When we first bought the house, a couple weeks ago, we had painters come in. I have enough money saved for everything and then a little extra, but I'll still need a full time job. Alex picked a dark blue for his room. He wanted twin size bunk beds, so we picked those out. I got the kitchen painted a cream color. The living room is a light yellow. My bedroom is a soft lavender. The office is a toffee color. We have two spare bedrooms. One is more masculine and the other more feminine. One wall is a forrest green color and the rest white. The other guest bedroom is a light rose color. Each room has a matching comforter with sheets and curtains. We're having the beds delivered sometime next week. We have a work out room downstairs and it's painted a sky blue. All the equipment is inside; I'll just have to arrange it. I'm really happy about the results and I'm sure it will look even better all assembled.

"They did a great job painting," my mom says coming into the living room after touring upstairs.

"Yes, they did. It was done quickly too," I acknowledge. "Why don't we move to the dining area?" The movers brought in my old dining room set, which will match everything. I ordered a china cabinet a week after the paint was done and it's sitting on one wall. I have the really nice dining sets to place in there. I find a table cloth and put it on the table. We put all the tablecloths and place mats in the drawers under the glass cabinets. Afterward, we fix lunch after hearing some complainers. Once we finish lunch we set up the kitchen table. There's a little corner nook with a bench that a table can fit in front of. Once we get the kitchen table set up we go upstairs. The men are still working in the living room. They help me unpack my clothes and miscellaneous items. I manage to get everything put away. I go to check on the kids while the rest of the woman head downstairs. We're about ready to go out for dinner. I walk into Alex's room to see toys on the floor. His toy chest is at the foot of his bunk bed.

"Hi Mama, we're just playing with these. I got everything else put away though," he says with a smile. He's awfully proud of himself.

"That's great guys. We're going out for dinner soon, so get ready," I tell them. They all jump up and go get there shoes. Alex stays behind to tell me something.

"I like my new room. It's bigger than my old one," he informs me looking around. "And, I got to pick the color. It might not be so bad here." I smile and give him a hug. We head downstairs and we pile in our cars to go to Pino's. It's the best pizza place in the city. It's fairly full when we arrive. We get the big back booth. I can already see familiar faces.

"Steph! Welcome back!" Eddie Gazarra one of my best friends greets. He gives me a big hug. I can see my cousin and his wife, Shirley the Whiner in the background. They were probably picking up pizza for their kids.

"Thanks Eddie, we should do lunch sometime to catch up," I tell him with a smile remembering how much I missed him. I look behind him and see Joe Morelli on a bar stool with a smirk on his lips. I walk over.

"Cupcake, you look good. Did you hear we have a date Tuesday?" he says with a grin. His chocolate bedroom eyes take me in. I hated the nickname though I am willing to overlook it, if he has changed.

"Morelli, you don't look so bad yourself. We do, if you still want to," I reply with my own smile. He looks over at our booth.

"How's your boy?" he asks, looking genuinely interested. I smile, thinking that he may have changed after all.

"He's good. Adjusting to the change, you know," I tell him, looking over at Alex with a smile. Morelli's eyes soften and he looks at me with a soft smile.

"He has a great mother, he'll be just fine," he tells me. "I should be going, I have an early shift at the department tomorrow. I'll see you Tuesday."

"Where do you work?" I ask liking the grown up Morelli. Still sexy, but way more likable.

"Trenton PD," he says proudly, "plainclothes detective." I nod.

"That's great. I'll see you Tuesday." He nods and walks out. Having gotten a glimpse of what is to come, I feel better about our date as I go to sit with my family.

The next two days go by in a flash. We finished unpacking on Sunday and the guest beds arrived. We set those up and the house is looking pretty perfect. Alex started school on Monday and said he had a good day. I went to Vinnie's and found out that I could be a BEA...if I blackmailed him. I also caught up with Connie and met Lula. Lula's a spunky ex-ho who rocks the spandex. I'm sure we'll become fast friends. Tonight's my date with Morelli and I have to admit, I'm pretty nervous.

"Help me pick out something to wear," I say to Alex as I look through the contents of my closet.

"All right Mama." He looks through and he seems to settle on something. He picks out a cobalt blue v-neck dress. It's understated elegance.

"And these strappy shoes!" he says picking out matching FMPs. I laugh and nod.

"Sounds good little man," I say with a smile. I get dressed quickly. I go light on my make-up and I curl my hair. Shorty's isn't that formal, but I would like to look nice. I put on my heels and do a model walk for Alex.

"What do you think?" I ask with a smile. He grins widely and comes to give me a hug.

"You look really pretty," he says with a smile. I squeeze him.

"All right then, let's go. I need to drop you off at Grandma and Grandpa's," I tell him. "Do you have your bag packed?" He nods and bounds out of my room. I put on a necklace and matching earrings and he comes back holding a backpack. They offered to have him over so I wouldn't feel pressured to come home early. They'll take care of getting him to school in the morning. I flip off the lights and we head to the garage. We get in the car and I drop him off.

"Bye sweetie, I love you," I remind him. "Be good." He nods.

"Love you too Mama," he says. "See you tomorrow." I nod and I watch him get inside safely. I drive to Shorty's and find a parking spot next to a giant black SUV. I walk inside and my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. They have the second best pizza in town. I scan the crowd and see a table full of muscular guys dressed in all black. I roll my eyes and scan the room for Morelli. My breathing picks up when I don't see him. Did he stand me up? I feel like a real idiot when I see him stand up with a grin on his face. He's wearing dark wash jeans and a dressy white button up long sleeved shirt. I walk over and I hear the place go silent. I look around and everything is suddenly bustling again. I blush and Morelli holds out a hand. I take it and he presses his lips to my hand.

"You look stunning," he says with a smile. I blush.

"Thanks. You have Alex to thank for that. I had no clue what to wear. He picked it out," I tell him with a smile. He grins.

"That's cute. You do realize every man in this place is jealous of me?" he asks as we sit down. I look around and see men averting their eyes. I blush some more.

"Why?" I ask looking at him like he's crazy. He throws his head back and laughs.

"Don't you know I'm on a date with the best looking woman this place has seen in some time," he tells me. I look around discreetly and notice that he could be right. There's only two other women in the place. They're not as dressed up as I am. I roll my eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters do not belong to me. _

**Warning:** There is a tad bit of Cupcake in this chapter. Just realize that it's satisfying some needs and nothing more.** Don't read if you won't like it.** This is the only chapter with it. I'll mark off the parts.

I debated about whether or not I wanted to keep the cupcake part of this story. I decided to just say what the hell so it's going to be in here.

Enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

**Steph's POV**

"Whatever you say. Are we going to eat or not?" I wonder taking a look at the menu. Instead of pizza I decide to go with their special spaghetti and meatballs.

"So, do you like being a cop?" I ask as I drink my wine. He takes a drink of his beer and shrugs.

"Most of the time. I like being able to put the bad guys away," he tells me with a smile. "Sometimes though it's just gory and sad. At the end of the day I have to remind myself that it's worth it to go through this." I nod.

"You keep the city safer I'm sure. I just worked in an office all day," I say. "One day I just got tired of it and gave my notice. That's why I moved back." He nods.

"I'm glad you did," he says putting his hand on top of mine. He leans in and gives me a soft kiss on the lips. I moan and it deepens. I haven't been kissed like this in a long time. We pull back and we're both smiling. Our food comes a little later. I get my glass refilled and we dig in. The spaghetti is delicious. I open my eyes to find Joe staring at me, looking a little pained. He wiggles in his seat.

"What's wrong?" I ask wondering if his food is bad or something. He takes a deep breath.

"You moaning...is making it hard to eat," he informs me. I feel my face go beet red.

"I'm moaning?" I ask and look around to see if anyone else has noticed. I see the table of guys dressed in black. They're all staring over here. I blush and look down.

"Sorry," I say meekly. I hadn't even noticed I was doing that. "Excuse me, I'm going to use the restroom." I get up and head to the bathroom. I get in and let out a sigh of relief. I'm so embarrassed. A bunch of hot guys heard me moaning, probably like I was doing it. I bury my face in my hands. I go pee and wash my hands. I feel a little better. I walk out and one of the guys comes up to me.

"Hi Beautiful, I'm Lester," he tells me with a cocky smile. There's something about him that makes me laugh.

"You'll have excuse Mo over there," another handsome man says to me.

"I thought his name was Lester?" I question looking between the too. Lester or...Mo is looking kind of pissed.

"That's Mo Lester," the other guy tells me before cracking up. I figure it out and start laughing too.

"Santos! Brown!" A huge man talking to Morelli barks. They snap to attention.

"Yes?" They ask in unison. Where can I get one of those? So well trained...I bet they're no slouches in bed either.

"Stop harassing the lady," the man tells them. I grin and look at the two crestfallen faces. I shrug and walk over to my table.

"What I tell you Cupcake?" Joe asks with a smug smile. I roll my eyes. "Steph, this is Tank. Tank this is Stephanie Plum." I hold out my hand to the gigantic man in front of me. No wonder his name is Tank.

"Nice to meet you...Tank. Is that your real name?" I ask praying that it's not. He grins at me.

"It's not, but it's what everyone calls me," he tells me and I know I won't find out his real name.

"Morelli mentioned you were looking for work?" he questions. I look over at Joe who shrugs with a sly smile. I nod.

"Yes, I just moved back out here from Newark. My old job just got too boring and I wanted to be closer to family," I inform the big man in front of me. He scratches his shiny bald head.

"I'm not sure what you'd be comfortable doing, but Joe highly recommends you. Here's our card. If, you come to this address tomorrow at eleven you have an interview," he tells me. My mouth drops open.

"I...well...this...thank you," I say fishing for what I want to say. "I'll be there." He smiles and nods at Joe before leaving. Joe grins. I smile at him.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that," I tell him with a smile. I'm in awe at what Joe did for me.

"I know, but I know you're worried about being a bounty hunter. This job wouldn't be as dangerous." I smile at his thoughtfulness. We eat the rest of our meal in comfortable silence. He asks if I want dessert. Usually I do, but I'm full tonight. He grabs my hand and we walk out together.

"Do you want to come back to my place for a while?" he asks. I bite my lip.

"Sure, I'd love to," I say. I follow him to the 'burg. It turns out he's only a couple streets away from my parents. He inherited a house from his Aunt Rose. It's a small house that's like my parents. We walk inside and he grabs two bowls.

***Cupcake Warning***

"How about some ice cream?" he asks digging through his freezer. I nod and he scoops us some vanilla ice cream. We eat it on his couch. He finishes before me. We chat about nothing in particular. I finish mine and set it on the coffee table. He scoots closer and touches his lips to mine. The kiss deepens and he moves me until I'm straddling him. Butterflies make my stomach do flip flops. I haven't been with a man since Alex was four. His hand found it's way up my dress and he undid my bra with one movement. His thumb rolls over my nipple and my back arcs. He kisses my neck. He tilts his head up and I kiss him. I grind against the bulge in his pants and my breath comes in short pants. I never realized how much I needed this. Years worth of repressed sexual desire springs to the surface. He rips my panties off in one motion. He pulls down my dress and latches onto my peaked nipple. Two fingers slide into me easily, and I moan into his neck as I ride him. I come to a release sooner than I would have liked. I scream out as it runs through me. He swallows my moans by pressing his lips to mine. He slides out of me and puts his fingers to his mouth. I feel so good. I'm really relaxed. I haven't felt like this in years.

"Your turn," I say huskily as I return the favor.

***End Warning***

I don't spend the night. If, we decide to continue to see each other I'll need to get on the pill and Alex will have to approve. There's definitely attraction...of course that has never been the problem. He seems more mature, but I'm not sure if it will work. Carlos is still there in the back of my mind, reminding me that no one will ever compare. When I get home I take a shower and pull on my pj's. I set my alarm for nine.

* * *

><p><strong>Ranger's POV<strong>

I wake up in my sleeping bag sweating. I wipe my face off and realize it's only one in the morning. I just had a dream about Stephanie. They always seem to be frequent on my lonely nights in the military. I take a deep breath. It's hard to believe it's been nine years since I've seen her last. I really need a cold shower, but I don't have the option. We're in the middle of the desert getting ready to go in. I close my eyes and pray. Something I do that no one knows about. I pray that we all make it safely, I pray that I'll see Stephanie again. I always seem to pray when I'm on my missions. It helps me keep my focus and not screw up. I'm responsible for everyone on my team. I've only ever lost five guys in all the years I've been doing this. It's terrible to know you're responsible for not getting a guy home to his loved ones. I settle uneasily into my sleep and dream of what could have been.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for all the reviews! I appreciated every single one. :) _  
><em>

_Disclaimer: I still don't own the known characters. That honor is all JE's. :)_

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 5<span>

**Steph's POV**

The next morning I get dressed in a black outfit. I feel like that may be all they wear at RangeMan. Once I'm all ready I head out. I see the building and realize it's very secure. I'll have to go through a gate to get to an underground garage. I pull up and roll down my window upon seeing a speaker.

"How can we help you?" A voice sounds from the speaker, like those on a drive-thru.

"Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum. I have an interview with...Tank at eleven," I reply. I look at the clock and see I'm five minutes early. There's no response but the gate slides open. I drive in and pick a free parking space, hoping I don't take someone's. I lock my car and get out. I look around. There's a horde of different kinds of black cars. There's SUV's to sports cars. I see an elevator and I figure that's probably where I need to go. I get in and it automatically starts moving. It stops at the fourth floor. The doors open and Tank is standing there. He's smiling. I smile back at him.

"Nice place," I say. "Thanks for having me." He nods and turns right. I follow him to his office. He motions to the chair in front of his desk. He goes around and sits in his chair. He folds his arms on top of the desk.

"Miss Plum, we don't normally have women employees except for our housekeeper and cook Ella. We are beginning to see that we need a female perspective. Also, some of the women clients would feel more comfortable with another woman. It wouldn't hurt to have another person doing background checks, especially someone who knows people in Trenton," he starts out. "Now, we did a background check on you yesterday and you check out. Since you have a son, we wouldn't put you in any harmful situations." I nod and he continues.

"Requirements for this job include being able to carry and use concealed weapons and to use the gym for at least three hours a week. At least two hours a week at the gun range. You need sufficient computer skills and even better people skills. You have to be able to be comfortable around men."

"All of those would be no problem. I can get a permit and train with a gun. I have a gym at home and using this gym would be no problem. I'm fine working with men," I inform him. He smiles.

"The benefits of this job include full dental and health care for you and your immediate family. You'd be given a RangeMan vehicle and an apartment on the fifth floor. You'd also get sick time with pay and paid vacations. If, you were to become disabled RangeMan would take care of everything. You'd get a hundred thousand a year adding more after the first three years you work here. You'd get a signing bonus of fifty thousand. It will be a three year contract that can only be broken by the employer or a bunch of costly court dates. I have all the paperwork here that I'll let you look through." I take it all in.

"What kind of hours would I work? I have a son and I'd like to make sure I can get him to school each day and be home most days when he gets home. I'd also like to be able to spend weekends with him. It doesn't have to be every weekend or everyday, I'd just like to spend time with him," I inform Tank. He nods.

"Work hours are negotiable. You can have weekends off unless something comes up. Although, you may need to be on call sometimes. We can also arrange daycare if you need it. If, you plan on taking a vacation we'll need at least a week's notice," he tells me.

"Wow, this is a dream job. I didn't even get full coverage at my last job," I say in awe. This company must be doing very well. I'd be an idiot if I didn't want to take it. I would just need to read over the paperwork some more.

"Just a question, but why did you pick the name RangeMan?" I ask. He chuckles.

"_I_ didn't pick it. Our boss Ranger did. Most of us are buddies from our Army days when we were Ranger's. Ranger...well he's the best and that's why we call him Ranger. He has three offices. One just opened up last year, it's in Boston," he answers. I nod. So, Tank won't be my boss.

"So, where is Ranger and why isn't he the one interviewing me?" I wonder, thinking it a bit strange.

"He's in the wind, which is what we call it when he's called by the military. He's still active but only on select missions. I'm his second in command," he informs me.

"Won't he question your decision in hiring me when he gets back?" I can't help but ask. I'm curious and I want an idea on if I'll be fired when the boss gets back.

"He'll check you out himself, but he's the one who's been saying we need a female perspective," Tank tells me. "If, you decide to come aboard you'll have three weeks to obtain a permit and get training. We can help you with that. You have a month test run at the company to see if everything is going smoothly. If, either one of us is unsatisfied we can break the contract easily." I nod, that makes me feel a little better. I don't want to be stuck at this place for three years if I end up not liking it. I don't know why I wouldn't take it or why I'd be unhappy with it, but I'll have to see.

"Any other questions?" Tank asks. I shake my head.

"Look over this with your lawyer and make changes. Bring it back in few days with your lawyer and we'll both look it over," he says. I nod. He stands up and I follow suit.

"Thank you for coming in, Miss Plum," Tank says holding out his hand. I shake it.

"I actually have just one more question," I say sheepishly, "You're willing to hire me just because of a background check and one recommendation?" Tank looks at me like I'm special.

"Miss Plum, Detective Morelli is an upstanding cop and I trust him when he says you're the best suited for this job. As for the background check, that's just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. You seem like a nice lady who needs this job. I hope you'll accept the offer," he tells me. He makes me smile and tear up.

"I think that's all. Thank you for seeing me today, Tank," I tell him, shaking his hand. "I'm sure I'll accept, but I just want to look over it first." He nods in understanding. His phone rings.

"Tank. Yes. Okay. I'll tell her." He hangs up and looks at me. He rolls his eyes.

"Brown and Santos from the other night want to say hello. They're waiting out in the hall. Feel free to ignore both of them if you'd like," Tank tells me with a smile. I nod.

"Thank you again." I walk out the door and see Lester and his friend. Now that I think about it I don't know Brown's first name. I smile.

"Hi, I'm Stephanie Plum," I introduce. I stick out my hand and Lester grabs it first.

"Lester Santos, pleasure to meet you," he says with a wiggle of his eyebrows. I giggle and turn towards Brown. He smiles and takes my hand.

"Bobby Brown, nice to formally meet you," he tells me with a smile. Lester is bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"So, did you get the job?" he asks like an impatient five year old. I laugh and roll my eyes. It would be a lot of fun working with these guys.

"I'm just going to look over the paperwork and make some changes," I inform them. "Say, you guys wouldn't know how to get a permit for a concealed weapon do you? Or anyone who could train me?" Bobby's eyes light up.

"I can help you get one," Bobby tells me. "Today if you'd like." Lester butts in. "I can train you, Beautiful." I laugh.

"That would be great you guys," I say genuinely. "I'm going to call my lawyer and see when we can meet. How about I call you guys afterward?" They both nod.

"Can I get your numbers?" I offer my phone out. Lester takes it first. He puts in his number and hands it to Bobby.

"You can find me under the name Sexy," Lester says with a wink. I roll my eyes and laugh. I shake my head at how silly this full grown man is. Bobby doesn't seem to think it's funny and smacks him on the back of the head.

"Yeow! What was that for?" Lester turns glaring at his friend. I just roll my eyes, boys will be boys. I haven't rolled my eyes this much since the last time I was in Trenton. Bobby hands me back the phone.

"You'll find me under Bobby Brown," he says with a shake of his head and a look at Lester. I nod.

"Thanks guys, I'll call one of you later," I tell them. We say our goodbyes and I head out. I get out of the garage and make a call to my lawyer. Luckily she's in Trenton, I never switched when I moved to Newark.

"Ashley Kyle's law office, how may we help you?" The receptionist asks.

"Hello, it's Stephanie Plum, I am wondering if Ms. Kyle is in?" I ask as I turn in my driveway.

"She is in. Do you want me to direct your call to her?" She asks me as I open my garage.

"Yes please." I pull in and turn off my car.

"Ashley Kyle," my lawyer greets. Even though she's my lawyer she has also become one of my friends. It also didn't hurt that we went to college together.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I don't own the ones you know. :) _

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6<span>

**Steph's POV**

"Hey Ash, it's Stephanie Plum. I just got a job offer!" I tell her. I can tell she's smiling over the phone.

"That's great Steph! Do you need me to look over the contract with you?" she asks.

"Yes, please, that would be great," I say. "Are you free for lunch?" I head upstairs to change.

"I am. How about we meet at Settimo Cielo at twelve thirty?" she suggests. I look at my watch. It's twelve o' clock. I have just enough time to change and drive.

"Can you make the reservation?" I ask, hoping they're not all booked. She laughs.

"Honey, they take me anytime. I'm a big shot lawyer," she tells me. "It will be under Kyle."

"See you then Ash," I say with a smile. I change into a maroon dress that stops a bit above my knee. I put on a pair of black FMP's, spritz on some perfume and I'm ready to go. I grab my purse and the contract. I drive over and luckily parking karma is on my side today. I find a spot with relative ease. I check my hair and head inside. It's not super noisy but there's a background of white noise. Lots of people come for lunch. I go up to the hostess.

"Reservation?" she asks. I nod.

"It should be under Kyle." She scans her list and nods. "Your party is already here." I follow her to see Ash sitting at a table toward the middle. I smile when I see her. She gets up and gives me a hug.

"You look good sweetie. How's Alex?" she asks as we sit down.

"He's good. Adjusting to the move. I'll have to invite you over sometime, the house looks amazing," I inform her with a smile. She grins. "Glad to hear it." The waiter comes up and takes our drink order, he then recites the specials. We don't take long to decide our entrees. He comes back with our drinks. We both went nonalcoholic.

"So, where'd you get the job offer?" she asks with a smile. I grin.

"This security company named RangeMan," I inform her. Her eyes widen. I raise an eyebrow as I take a sip of my water.

"That's a big company. They're very well known. Mr. Manoso, the owner, started his first building in Miami eight years ago," she lets me know. That's more information about the company than I got from Tank.

"I just know him as Ranger. I haven't actually met him because he's on a mission for the military," I say. She nods.

"I know people who'd kill for a job there." I nod. This is really interesting. I had never heard of the company before.

"Here's the contract." I hand it over and she scans through it. She nods to herself as she reads it.

"Who offered the job?" she questions, flipping to the next page.

"Ranger's second in command Tank," I reply scanning the room. She flips through more of the pages before looking up.

"There's nothing wrong with this contract. I just want to point out that you have a three week trial at which time you can quit and/or be fired. Otherwise you have a three year contract that will be pretty damn hard to break. You get a great salary and great benefits. You can fill in the hours you plan to work," she says highlighting what she thinks is the most important information.

"Tank went through all this. I think it sounds reasonable. I think I'd want my hours on weekdays to be eight thirty a.m. until two thirty p.m. That of course, I'm willing to change as necessary and I'm willing to work some weekends, but not all. I also have no problem being on call," I inform her. She nods.

"That sounds like it can be worked out. Wow, Steph, this is a great opportunity. An added bonus is you get to work with hot guys all day," she tells me with a laugh. She takes a sip of her ice tea. I laugh.

"It's true, they all are really attractive. Not to mention funny. I met two of the guys and they're going to get me a permit for a concealed and teach me how to use it," I let her know as our food comes out.

"Are you seeing anyone special?" I ask as I dig into my food. She shakes her.

"I was seeing an accountant, but he was way too boring and a little too pudgy," she says. "What about you?" I sigh.

"Well, I went on a date with Joe Morelli yesterday," I say with a smile. "I'm not sure it will go anywhere though."

"You get all the lucky breaks don't you?" she chuckles. I shrug. "I've known him since I was six." She nods.

"Are you free tomorrow or Friday? I'd like you to come in with me when we go over the contract," I ask. She nods. "I'm free tomorrow around three thirty."

"Sounds good. I'll set it up and get back to you." We finish lunch and I pay. I thank her and we go our separate ways. I make a call to Tank, having put his number on my phone the other night when I got his card.

"RangeMan, this is Tank speaking," his deep voice echos in my phone. I grin.

"Hi Tank, it's Stephanie Plum," I say waiting to make sure he remembers me.

"Ms. Plum, have you spoken with your lawyer?" I make my way to the bonds office to say hello to the girls.

"Yes, I have. We just had lunch actually. She's free tomorrow around three thirty. Do you think we could make that work?" I ask. I hear some shuffling.

"That will be fine. So, are you taking the job?" he wonders. I smile. He seems to actually want me to take the job.

"Yes, I am, as long as we can come to an agreement on my work schedule," I say as I pull into the bonds office parking lot. I turn off the car and finish up the call.

"I'm sure we'll be able to," he says cordially. "Thanks for calling. I'll see you tomorrow." I hear a click and I know he hung up. What, no goodbye? I roll my eyes and scroll through my contacts. I see sexy in all capital. I laugh and shake my head before hitting call.

"Lester Santos," a voice sings over the phone. I can't help it, I burst out laughing.

"Stephanie Plum," I sing back, even if my voice isn't the greatest.

"Beautiful! You ready to get a permit and gun?" he asks and I can tell he's grinning like a fool.

"I'll be ready around four. I need to pick up my son from school," I inform him. There's silence for a moment before an incredibly goofy voice asks, "YOU HAVE A SON?" I chuckle.

"Yes, I do. His name is Alex," I say. "Maybe after we do that stuff we can have you over for dinner."

"AWESOME! I WANT TO PLAY WITH YOUR SON!" He shouts and I have to hold the phone away from my ear. I hear him yell. "BOBBY! STEPHANIE HAS A SON AND WE'RE INVITED TO DINNER!" I roll my eyes.

"Lester, calm done. He's just an eight year old boy," I say still chuckling. I swear Lester _is_ an eight year old in a man's body.

"It's just so cool! I always wanted to be an uncle," he informs me. I can't help but smile at that.

"All right then, so it's settled? At four? But, where?" I wonder as I see Lula looking at me through the window. I wave and smile.

"I'll meet you at your place. I have your address, we'll be there! See ya, Beautiful." Click. He hung up the phone. Do they all need phone manners? I close my phone and get out of the car. I walk inside.

"Hey girls, how's it going?" I ask as I plop down next to Lula. She's reading a magazine and Connie's filing her nails.

"We heard you're going to work at RangeMan," Lula comments. "You'll be with my Tankie." I smile.

"You guys are seeing each other?" I ask surprised. She looks up and nods. I grin.

"That's great! Do you know Lester and Bobby?" I wonder as I swivel my head between the two of them.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry, I haven't gotten around to replying. I'm a slacker, I know. Here's the next installment. Tell me what you think! _  
><em>

_Disclaimer: I only own Alex...I only wish I owned those hot Merry Men. ;) _

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7<span>

**Steph's POV**

"Yeah, we know them," Connie says suddenly looking interested. "I wouldn't mind getting myself a piece of Lester." She smiles.

"Well, they're helping me get my permit and gun. They're also coming to dinner at my house tonight. Lester is really excited to meet my son," I inform them with a laugh. They both smile.

"That's nice. You trying to date either one of them?" Connie asks with a raised eyebrow as she puts on the first coat of her fire engine red nail polish.

"Nope. I went on a date with Joe Morelli the other night. We'll see where it goes though," I tell them. "He's grown up a lot, that's for sure." They both nod.

"He's still sexy though," Connie comments. Lula and I both nod.

"I'm usually allergic to cops, but not him. He's too fine," she says with a grin. I smile.

"Nice chatting with you guys, but I need to call my parents and then pick up Alex," I let them know as I get up and stretch.

"Bye white girl," Lula says flipping through her magazine. "See ya Steph." I walk out the door and call my parents.

"Plum residence, Ellen Plum speaking," my mom greets. I smile. She always answers the phone the same way even since I was little.

"Hi Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to pick up Alex," I notify her.

"All right sweetie. Are you two coming for dinner?" I pull up to the elementary school.

"Nope. We'll be over Sunday night though," I inform her. "Okay. I'll see you guys then. Bye."

"Bye." I close my phone and get out of the car. I go in and get Alex a little early. He's happy to see me.

"Mama, what are you doing here early?" he asks as he skips to the car. I smile at my son, he's so cute.

"We're meeting a friend at four," I inform him. "I think you'll like this guy." He looks at me curiously as he buckles himself in.

"Is it that guy you went on a date with?" he asks fishing for more clues as we drive home. I smile.

"Nope." He continues to try and guess as we pull into the driveway. I park the car and we both get out. He stops me before we go inside.

"Mama," he says hesitantly, "is he...my daddy?" My eyes well up. I wrap him in a hug.

"No, sweetie, but if you'd like I'll tell you the story of your daddy and I," I suggest as we move inside the house. He nods. We go upstairs. He drops his backpack off in his room before following into mine. I go to my jewelry box and lift up the top. Inside is the picture of Carlos and I. I carefully pull it out and shut the lid. We lay down on my bed.

"We met one night at a wedding we had both gone to. We were drawn to each other. It was like no one else was in the room. He swept me off my feet. We were so in love that it could surpass all fairytales. He got a phone call that night since he was still active in the military. He was needed for a mission. I told him that I love him. And, he tells me that he'll always love me," I tell to my son. When he was six he had demanded I tell him this story every night. I wipe away a tear before Alex can notice.

"He was gone in a few hours. That's when I realized I had no way to contact him. I didn't even know his full name, and I regret it until this day," I end. He's staring at the photo intently. He traces Carlos' figure.

"Do you think he's looking for us?" Alex wonders, not looking up. I sigh. This is so hard.

"Probably," I lie because I can't bear to tell my son the truth. The truth that Carlos may have forgotten about me years ago.

"Mama...do...do you still love him?" he asks looking up into my eyes. He reminds me so much of Carlos. His eyes are the same. His hair as silky only a couple shades lighter. They also have the same brilliant smile.

"Yes, Alex, I still love him very much," I tell my son. He nods and looks at the picture again.

"Do I look like him?" I stroke his hair and press a kiss to his head. I look at the photo and they easily resemble each other.

"Yes sweetie, you look a lot like your father," I say. He smiles. I look at the clock and notice it's three thirty.

"I'm going to change into some jeans and a t-shirt. Lester and Bobby will be here at four. You may have two new uncles," I inform him as I sit up, leaving him with the photo. He nods.

"Cool! Do you think they'll want to play race cars with me?" he asks excitedly. I chuckle.

"They might. Why don't you go get a snack and I'll be down in a few minutes," I suggest as I move towards my dresser. I grab a pair of jeans and a blue blouse.

"Okay!" I hear his little feet run downstairs. I change quickly and put on tennis shoes. I walk downstairs ten minutes later after changing and using the bathroom. I go into the kitchen to find Alex eating a strawberry yogurt. I grab one out of the fridge and lean against the bar.

"How was school today?" I inquire as we have our afternoon snack. He smiles.

"I made some new friends. This guy named John and this other guy named Logan. We played kickball at recess," he informs me with a smile. "I miss my old friends, but I like it here." I smile.

"The guys that are coming over are helping me get a gun because it's a requirement at the place I am going to work at." His head shoots up and he looks at me with wide eyes.

"A gun?" He smiles. "Will I get to shoot it?" I shake my head.

"No, Alex, guns are dangerous. They are going to teach us how to safely use and store it. I may let you shoot it once or twice at the firing range, but other than that I don't want you to get hurt." His smile fades but he seems to get it. We finish off our snack and just as I'm throwing away the containers the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" Alex yells as he runs towards the door. I can see that it's Les and Bobby from the window, so I let him answer the door.

"Are you her son?" Les asks incredulously as I come up. He looks between the two of us. He nods enthusiastically.

"But...he's...BROWN!" Les says with a confused look on his face. I take a deep breath and try not to laugh.

"My daddy's Cuban," Alex says proudly. "And, he's in the military." Les looks at me to make sure that my son is telling the truth.

"Yep, his daddy is Cuban American," I inform the two men. Bobby is just shaking his head sadly.

"I'm sorry about this dummy," Bobby tells me jerking his finger at Lester before looking back at Alex. His eyebrow wrinkles in concentration. It's like he's trying to figure out who Alex reminds him of.

"It's okay. He's just a big kid. So, are we going?" They both nod.

"We'll take the SUV," Bobby says. I lock up the house and we head to their car. Alex looks up at Lester.

"Mama says you're going to be my uncles, is that true?" Alex asks Les. Les grins and nods.

"Sure thing buddy! We can hang out all the time! I can take you to the park! Oh, oh, you can help me restore my car! This is going to be so much fun," Lester tells my son with a huge grin on his face. At least Alex would have father figures in his life.

"Mama, can I? Can I?" Alex pleads tugging on my shirt. I chuckle. We get in the car before I answer my son.

"Of course sweetie, but you'll have to have all your homework done and your room will need to be clean," I say making sure he knows the rules. He nods.

"I can do that! Uncle Lester can help me," he tells me looking over at his goofy 'uncle'. Les just grins and nods.

The afternoon flies by and at the end I know how to use my gun and I have a permit to carry it concealed.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. _  
><em>

_Disclaimer: All recognized characters belong to the fabulous JE, I'm just borrowing. :)_

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 8<span>

**Steph's POV**

We head back to my place and I order some pizza. We're lounging in living room, now that I've gotten the couch. They turned on the sports channel and are watching a hockey game. The doorbell rings and I go to get my money. Instead of the pizza delivery guy it's Joe. He has a big grin on his face.

"I bought this from the guy who said it was for Stephanie Plum," he tells me with a smile. "I thought I'd deliver it." I smile and give him a light kiss on the cheek.

"We're in the living room," I say taking the pizza box from him. I put it on the counter and get out some plates. I peek my head in the living room.

"Boys, wash your hands! The pizza is here," I call. They switch off the TV and go to the bathroom to wash their hands. I set the plates out on the dining room table and put the pizza boxes at each end. We just went with two large pepperoni pizzas. Joe was still standing there smiling at me. He walks over and puts a hand around my waist.

"How was your day, Cupcake?" he asks pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Busy, but good. I'm taking the job. I talked it over with my lawyer and all of us are meeting tomorrow. I got my gun and permit," I inform him as the guys start coming out of the bathroom.

"Alex this is Joe, the man I went on the date with the other night," I introduce. Joe smiles.

"Hey buddy, are you hungry?" he says. Alex looks him up and down then shrugs.

"I guess." I raise an eyebrow at the exchange. Joe looks at me silently asking what he did wrong. I just shrug as I sit down. We dig in.

"So, Alex, how was school today?" Joe asks trying to get some information out of the little guy. Alex shrugs and picks at his pizza.

"Have you played dodgeball yet? Man, that game is so fun! I use to kill at it," Les says with a grin as he takes a bite of his pizza.

The rest of the meal is eaten in peaceful silence. After we get the dishes loaded in the dish washer I say goodbye to the guys. Joe is the last to leave. He wraps an arm around me.

"See ya later Cupcake. Bye squirt," he says to Alex and I. Alex just waves. I give Joe a peck on the lips and shut the door behind him.

"I don't like him!" Alex yells running upstairs. Confused, I go after him. I find him on the top bunk in his room. I climb up and lay next to him. He turns away from me. It breaks my heart.

"Why don't you like him?" I inquire, rubbing his arm. He turns to me with tears running down his face.

"He's...white!" he says. "Daddy isn't white. Lester and Bobby aren't white." He sobs a little more.

"I thought you said you still love Daddy," he says, tears running down his face. He's gulping in air, trying to control himself. I give him a hug.

"I'm white and so is Grandpa and Grandma," I inform him. He wipes his face with his fist.

"I know but you're not kissing them," he says in a matter of fact tone. I chuckle.

"I do love Daddy, sweetie, but I don't know if we'll ever see him again. I have to move on," I try and explain it gently.

"Now, come on, you need to take a shower."

* * *

><p><strong>Bobby's POV<strong>

Les and I leave Steph's place and I have a nagging feeling. Alex looks disturbingly familiar. Why I can't place him, I don't know. I look over at Santos who's grinning. He always did like kids.

"Did Alex look familiar to you?" I ask as I head toward RangeMan. Les' brow crinkles before he shakes his head.

"Nahh, man, sure he's Hispanic, but we know a lot of Hispanic people," Les says with a shrug. "Steph didn't know any of us before a couple days ago."

"Yeah, I guess your right," I say still feeling that Alex looks so familiar like someone we know.

* * *

><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

In the next week we get a comfortable routine going. I met with Tank and the lawyers at RangeMan and we worked everything out. Alex hasn't said anything else about his daddy. I haven't seen Joe since the pizza night. I've been learning the ropes at RangeMan and I'm improving.

Three weeks pass and I realize I haven't quit or been fired. I'm officially working at RangeMan for three years. I'm able to make breakfast for Alex and take him to school every morning. I pick him up from school everyday except for Thursdays. I see him almost every weekend, unless he's spending it with his Uncle Les. He spends Thursdays with Grandma and Grandpa. We go to dinner every Sunday evening at their house. It was good for us to move. Working at RangeMan is a dream. The hours are good and it's not too boring.

**Two Months Later**

It's the morning of Alex's birthday and his friends from Newark are here. Alex has spent the night at his grandparents so I can get ready. He doesn't know his friends are here. I've pretty much finished decorating. I got him a new bike for his birthday. Everyone is coming at ten thirty, so they should be here soon. We have a bunch of games to play. There's a knock on the door and Lester walks in.

"Morning Beautiful!" he says carrying a big box under his arm. "Where do presents go?" He looks around and finds the table that will hold gifts.

"Is his Uncle Bobby coming too?" I ask with a grin as I slice up some fruit. I've already gotten sandwiches made in the fridge. Mary Lou is picking up the birthday cake from Tasty Pastry.

"He said he would. All the guys are coming I think," Les informs me. "You know we all love your kid." I smile. It's true. Whenever he's sick they offer to watch him at work. It's crazy. Our mismatched family.

"That's great. Tell me they didn't all get him gifts," I say giving Les a stare. He just grins.

"Can't say." I roll my eyes. "Make yourself useful and go start blowing up the bounce house in the backyard please."

"Yes Ma'am," he says as he salutes. I roll my eyes. I put the mac and cheese on the stove. I use the house phone to call my parents.

"Plum Residence, Alexander speaking," my little guy says. He makes me smile.

"Morning Birthday boy!" I say. "Can I talk to Grandma?"

"Okay! Grandma it's Mama!" I hear him run to her. There's some talking and then my mom's voice is on the line.

"Stephanie?" she asks like she doesn't know it's me. I finish up the fruit and put it in the fridge.

"Yeah Mom, I was wondering what you're making for the party," I say, going around back to see a swarm of black around Lester.

"I'm making mashed potatoes," she says. "And, I'm bringing white cupcakes in case anyone doesn't like chocolate."

"Good thinking. All right, that's all I needed to know. See you later." She says goodbye and we hang up. I walk outside to see the Merry Men, all the guys who work at RangeMan, trying to put up the bounce house. How hard could it really be? You hook it up and then press the on button. I roll my eyes.

"Do I need to get a professional?" I ask the horde of men. They all grumble and shake their heads. I see that the tube thing is already connected. I head for the air pump thing and turn it on. It started filling up.

"Sorry Steph, obviously none of us has set up a kid's birthday party before," Hal, one of the RangeMen, says to me with a smile. I smile back and pat him on the arm.

"It's okay," I say. "So, who's going to be in charge of grilling?" Five hands shoot up in the air. I see it's Cal, Bobby, Zero, Hal, and Bones. I roll my eyes again. One of these days they're going to get stuck.

"You guys will have to work it out. Everything is in the fridge," I inform them as I see a car pull up. It's Mary Lou, Lenny, and the kids. They all pile out. Right after them is Ashley. I smile, perfect. I can introduce her to Bobby. I think they would be a good match. Everyone is here by eleven. All we need now is the birthday boy. I make a call to my parents so they know to bring him over. I hand out party hats and confetti. I'll have a lot to clean up, but it will be worth it. They all hide and when he walks in we all jump out and shout surprise. I go up and give him a hug. He smiles up at me.

"Thanks Mama." I see a flash and I figure they took the picture.

"You're welcome, why don't you say hello to all your friends," I suggest with a smile. He turns and is gladly surprised to see all his old friends. The party goes on and we head outside. The kids bounce and the parents just sit around and chat while the men work on the barbecue. Lester is jumping inside the bounce house like the kid he is. Once we all eat it's time to open presents. I get out my camera and capture some nice shots as he opens his presents. His uncle Lester got him a remote control airplane. I shake my head. It's going to get stuck in a tree somewhere and when it does, Uncle Lester is going to have to come to the rescue. It seems most of the guys had a collaborative gift. Each guy got him a piece of the present. He ended up with a full RangeMan outfit with a Nerf gun, plastic handcuffs, and some silly string. Oh, joy. As the party winds down Ella comes up to me.

"Stephanie dear, the party is amazing. You did such a fantastic job," she tells me with a smile.

"Thanks Ella, I hope Alex is having a good time," I say looking over at my laughing child.

"He is. This will be a birthday he never forgets," she says. "Well, thank you for having us over. It's about our bedtime." She pats Louis on the arm.

"Thank you for coming. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiles and nods. I sit back and watch my son. He looks so happy. I scan the crowd and see Bobby and Ash sitting closely together. I keep going and see Les and Connie sitting together. Guess I'm a matchmaker. I smile as the party continues into twilight.


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: You know the line. I only own Alex the rest belongs to JE._

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9<span>

**Tank's POV**

I'm in the office the day after Alex's birthday when the phone rings. The caller ID doesn't have anything listed.

"RangeMan, Tank speaking," I say. Stephanie has been working here a couple months now and we're doing better than we had before. We'd actually doubled in clients.

"Tank, it's Ranger. Report." It's the first time we've heard from him since he's been on the mission. I'd ask him how he's doing, but I know he'd rather hear the report first.

"Well, we have a new employee. Her name is Stephanie and –." He cuts me off.

"Fire her." He didn't even know how well she was doing. Why the hell could he want to fire her already? God damn, sometimes that man made me so pissed. Right now, I'm in charge.

"No goddammit. She's a great employee and everyone loves her. You haven't met her and you have no idea what her fucking work ethic is. I don't know what your problem is, but she's not being fired." I think that's the first time I've actually been seriously pissed at Ranger. Oh shit, he isn't going to forget this.

"Fine. I'll do it when I get back. Which should be in two months. Why the hell are you so hell bent on keeping her?" Why was he so fucking hell bent to get rid of her?

"One, you didn't listen to hear how well we're doing. Clientele has nearly double since she started. Two, she has a fucking son that she needs to take care of. Three, all the guys love her and her son. Four, women don't want to talk to me they'd rather talk to her. Five, she's nice and polite and knows how to butter up the clients. So, just shut it. She's not getting fired because I guarantee you that everyone in the Trenton office will quit," I rant to my boss. I don't care what the fuck he says. Stephanie looks at all of us with love and respect and she treats us like humans. She's wiggled herself into everyone's heart. And, so has Alex. It's strange, but he looks so familiar and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Many of the guys have been saying it too, but we can't decide who he looks like.

"We'll see. I'll talk to you when I can." He hangs up. I can't believe I went off on him like that, but he needed to know what would happen. I had just been looking at another contract that meant promoting her. She'd be at the same level as Lester, Bobby, and I. A core member. She'd be able to handle business deals alone and do the fine print on security. I have already talked to Lester and Bobby about and they agree. She should be moved up. I walk out of my office to find her talking to the guys in the control room. She smiles when she sees me.

"Hi Tank," she greets before turning back to the monitors. She motions to something on her clipboard.

"Steph, I need to talk to you about something when you aren't busy," I tell her. She nods.

"Okay Tank, I'll be there in a minute, I just need to make sure they know how to do the cameras in Mrs. Benson's home," she informs me. I nod and walk back into my office. She comes in a minute later.

"Hey Tank, what's up?" she asks taking a seat in front of me. She's still smiling. She just brightens up the place.

"Well, I have a proposal for you. Lester, Bobby, and I want you to become a core member. You'd have pretty much the same responsibilities as us. You'd probably do more of the women based clients though. So, what do you say? The contract is mostly the same only you will get a raise and a five year contract. It can only be broken if three of the four core team decide it's not working out," I tell her, putting the contract in front of her. Her jaw is open a little and she's just gaping at me. When I don't say anything she snaps out of it.

"Are you serious? I've only been here a couple of months. And, what about Ranger? He hasn't met me to decide if I'm even worth keeping around," she says in one breath. At the end she's a little breathless.

"I just got off the phone with Ranger, he's happy we hired you," I lie trying to put on a convincing smile. I might look a little scary though. She just laughs and bites her lip.

"Well...if you're sure. I don't think I need to talk it over with my lawyer." She grabs a pen and signs. Bobby, Lester, and I have already signed. Since it's majority, Ranger doesn't need to sign.

* * *

><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

Tank floored me. I had no clue this was coming. The fact that they all had agreed on it meant something really special. These guys don't trust many people. I'm glad they trust me. I don't need Ash to look over this because I know I'm happy here and things won't change that much. I can't stop the shit eating grin from crossing my face.

"We also decided you need your own office since you'll now be a core member. I know it's not the greatest but we're renovating the supply closet. It's actually pretty big and you can decorate it however you'd like," Tank informs me. My jaw drops once again.

"I...thank you guys. You don't know how much this means to me." Tears fill my eyes. I'm so happy to have found all these wonderful friends.

"Also, the RangeMan jet will be flying you and Alex to Miami and Boston this weekend so you can see how the other office runs. You'll meet the main guys in each of those offices and also you'll help pick the women who will work with them, if you're up to it," he tells me. Wow, flying on a jet to Miami and Boston. "Lester will be escorting you, unless you'd rather have someone else." I smile.

"Lester's great. This is such a great opportunity. Thank you Tank," I say with appreciation.

"You're office should be ready by Friday. Feel free to decorate it anyway you want. In fact, the decorators are coming in tomorrow so you should sit down with them." I nod.

"I think that's all. Welcome to the core team Stephanie," he tells me with a smile. I stand up to leave and my hand is on the door knob when he speaks.

"Oh, right. The guys wanted me to tell you that you don't have to pick up Alex. Your parents have him. Also, see Lester when you're ready to go home." I nod not wanting to question him. I head out and go check out my soon to be office. There are people already inside. It seems that they are clearing it out.

"I take it you accepted the job," a voice from behind asks. I jump about a foot in the air. I spin around to see Lester laughing silently.

"Jeez, you could have given me a heart attack. And, yes, I took the job," I inform him. He wraps his arms around me and spins me.

"Now, you are like my sister! Core member," he says with a grin. "We're celebrating tonight at Shorty's."

"Not Pino's?" It's almost a whine. I've been hanging out with nine year olds too much. He just shakes his head sadly.

"Don't you know that Shorty's has the best pizza _ever?_" he asks with an expression that says I'm crazy.

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."  
>"Does too."<p>

"Does not."

"Does not!" Les says, losing the war. I laugh and point at him.

"I got you! See Pino's is better! Even you can't deny it." I smile as I walk away. I go to my cubicle to work on a schematic of where security camera's should go in a single mother's home. It's five o' clock when the guys round me up. We take two SUVs and head to Shorty's. It's the guys favorite place.

We get inside and have a great time. All the guys are happy that I am moving up. It's a very nice night.

The next day I meet with the decorator. A cross dresser named Sally Sweet. He seems pretty cool. He says he knows Lula and Connie. I picked out a burnt orange color that's a little lighter than what people normally see. I got the same kind of desk as Tank only with plush chairs for clients. I have a small couch on one wall and a mini bookshelf. I have a corner lamp that puts off a lot of light. I went with a cream colored rug with coffee brown edges. I'm sure it was going to look nice. They were planning to finish it when I went to view the other offices with Alex and Les.

I hear a commotion in the hall so I peek out of my cubicle to see a bunch of guys. I get up to see what's happening.

"Russ! Nice to see you man," I hear Bobby greet. Who's Russ? I come out farther and Lester spots me.

"Beautiful! Come meet Russ, he's a good bounty hunter friend from RangeMan Boston," Lester says dragging me up to meet the stranger. Only when I come face to face with him, I realize he's no stranger.

"Steph!" he greets wrapping me in a hug. I haven't seen Russ since college. We had been together pretty much throughout. We only broke up toward our last year.

"Russell! What are you doing here?" I ask, really surprised. It was good to see him again.

"I came up here because I have a skip I need to catch. What are you doing here?" he questions with a raised eyebrow. He looks good. I can't believe I forgot about him. He's really tan with a beard going on. He's brown eyes are just as beautiful. He could use a comb though.

"I work here," I say. "We need to catch up. You should come to dinner at my place tonight." He grins and reminds me of how white his teeth are.

"Will do. I'll come by later to get the address. I need to see Tank," he tells me. He walks off towards Tank's office. Les turns to me.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I don't them. Unless you're count Russ, the hot rangeman, and Alex, the cute kid. :)_

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 10<span>

**Steph's POV**

"How do you know Russ?" he questions. I just grin and go back to my cubicle. Of course, he decides to follow.

"No, really. How do you know him?" I just roll my eyes. Why was he so bent about this?

"We go way back," I say. He just stares at me. "Okay, we dated all through college." Lester grins.

"I can work my magic and hook you guys up," he tells me while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I burst out laughing. I smack him on the arm.

"No thank you. If, that were to happen, we wouldn't need you to meddle." He clutches his heart.

"But, I... I am Cupid!" He then poses like he's superman. I shake my head. He has some serious problems.

"Then Cupid, why haven't you and Connie...what did you say...right..why haven't you two 'hooked' up?" He narrows his eyes.

"Well...that's different," he tells me. "How?" He shrugs. "Just is."

"Whatever," I say turning back to my computer to do a search. After a minute, he walks off.

"So, what's going on between you and Santos?" a voice behind me asks. I jump and turn to glare. I see Russ standing there.

"A girl needs some warning ya know!" I tell him, my heart still pounding from the little scare. He leans against the wall with his arms crossed. He nods in the direction of Les.

"So?" I sigh and roll my eyes.

"Nothing, he's my adopted brother," I inform Russ. He grins and steps closer to me. He puts his hands on the arms of my chair.

"Then he won't mind if I do this?" And then he proceeds to kiss me. I shake my head and moan as he deepens the kiss. My arms wrap around his neck and I pull him closer. I forgot how great of a kisser he is. He pulls away and I slowly open my eyes.

"What was that?" I question. He smiles at me.

"Hello and I've missed you," he informs me with a wink. I smile.

"Hi, I missed you too." I look at the clock and notice it's two fifty. I need to go pick up Alex.

"I have to say bye because I need to pick up my son from school. Have Les give you the address," I tell him as I grab my purse.

"You have a kid?" I nod. "When did that happen?" I look at him. Either he thought it might be his or he was just curious.

"A while ago. After you." He nods. I start walking down the hall.

"Do you think he'll like me?" I look back at him. He could pass for Hispanic. I didn't need another Morelli incident. I nod.

"I think so. You can come with me to pick him up, if you'd like," I offer. "But, I need to go now." He nods.

"Okay, I'm coming." We head down to the garage and we get into my car. I drive to the elementary school and we head inside to pick him up. He's talking to his friends.

"So, which one's yours?" Russ asks me as we look at the three kids in front of us. I smile.

"The one in the middle. Hey Alex, time to go," I call to my son. He looks up with a smile on his face. He runs over to me and gives me a hug.

"Hey buddy, this is my friend Russ," I introduce. "Russ, this is my son Alex." Russ sticks out his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," Russ says. They shake hands and Alex smiles.

"He's funny Mama." I laugh. "Come on." We walk out to the car and Alex tells us all about his day.

"Is he staying for dinner Mama?" Alex asks looking at Russ. I shrug and look over.

"Only if you want me!" I never realized how great he is with kids. I look over at my little guy.

"Well, should we take him in? Or does he need to go to the pound?" Russ pretends to look wounded.

"You'd take _me_ to the pound?" His face is priceless. I start laughing.

"You betcha! Alex just has to give me the word," I say looking back at my son. "So, whaddya say? Do we need to make a pit stop?" Alex thinks it over for it.

"To the pound!" Russ makes a noise. "I want to pick up Uncle Lester!" I start cracking up.

"You got it." Russ looks at my son who's grinning.

"I think Uncle Lester has flees. I don't want flees," Russ tells my son. Alex laughs.

"He doesn't!" I get out my cell phone and call Lester to see if he wants to have dinner with us. Alex has been spending almost every Saturday over at Lester's. They're best friends. Les says it's fine.

"To the pound. While we're there do you want to come see where my office is going to be? I got promoted yesterday," I ask.

"Yeah!" Alex says. We make it back to RangeMan. We all pile out of the car and Alex bounds to the elevator.

"I'm betting all the guys love him?" Russ guesses. I nod with a smile. Alex is pretty popular with the guys. Alex presses the up button impatiently. We are standing beside him when the doors open. He jumps in and presses the right button.

"He sure knows his way around, doesn't he," Russ comments as Alex jumps at the right moment, something Uncle Lester taught him.

"We should all do it when we come down!" Alex tells us excitedly thinking his plan is brilliant.

"We'll see." We arrive on four and all get out.

"Alex! Yo buddy, what's up?" Cal, the man with a flaming skull tattoo on his head, asks. Alex smiles.

"Uncle Lester's going to eat dinner with us! And, we're all going to jump in the elevator when we go down," Alex gushes to anybody who will listen.

"You mean to say, I'm not invited?" Cal asks with a puppy dog pout. For tough guys they sure know how to beg. Alex looks up at me. I nod.

"Invite all the stray puppies if you want to," I tell my son. He grins like a maniac before sprinting to every cubicle.

"He's like the energizer bunny. Does he ever stop?" Russ asks with a warm smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Ranger's POV<strong>

I can't believe Tank hired a woman. It's not that she's a woman that bothers me. It's her name. I can never work with a woman whose name is Stephanie. I'd be unhappy all the time. Is it not enough that I didn't get her last name? Is God trying to punish me by making me come face to face with the name everyday? I know it's not Tank's fault... technically. He doesn't even know what happened nine years ago. I never told a soul besides the commanding officer I had back then. And, he died three years ago. Thank God I'm coming home soon, that way I can nip this problem in the bud.

"Sir," one of my soldiers comes up and says. "They say it's time to go." I look up from the book I was trying to read.

"All right. Tell everyone to gear up," I say. It's the moment. We have to take out some targets that are suspected of trying to take control of Al Qaeda. We don't need another 9/11. I get my stuff and I'm ready in two minutes. I wait while the rest finish up.

* * *

><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

I order five boxes of large pepperoni pizzas from Pino's. Party at my house, everyone's invited.

"Les, can you take Alex with you when you come over? I need to go get the pizza," I ask my friend. He nods.

"Sure Beautiful, is Russ going with you?" he says with a wink. I roll my eyes.

"I don't know. Let me ask," I turn to Russ. "You want to go with me to pick up the pizza?" He nods. When I turn back to Les, he's grinning.

"Shut it." He holds his hands up in surrender. "I never said a thing." I narrow my eyes.

"I heard you thinking it." Les just chuckles. Russ and I go to get the pizza.

"They all love you," he tells me on the ride. "It's not hard to see why. Hell, even I wasn't a fool back in college." I smile and look over at him.

"Neither was I. You're a great guy Russ," I smile fondly at him as we pull up to Pino's. He grins and strokes his chin.

"Why thank you." I chuckle and get out of the car. We go in and find out they're making the last pizza. We're waiting at the bar when Joe comes up. He smiles.

"Hey Cupcake, how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while," he comments as he leans against the bar. I feel a tad bit guilty.

"Hi Joe, I've been good. How about you?" I ask. "Have you met Russell Grange?" Russ sticks out his hand.

"Nice to meet you..." Russ says politely his eyes cutting between the two of us.

"I'm Joe Morelli," Joe looks at me questioningly. "Can I see you over here Cupcake?" I nod and follow Joe a couple feet away.

"Why haven't we gotten together? The last time I saw you was when we had pizza," he questions.

"Sorry, it's just that...Alex he...well he doesn't like you very much," I try and explain. "It's just he really didn't like us...kissing." Joe nods.

"So, just because he says he doesn't like me you'll just stop seeing me?" Joe wonders.

"I'm really sorry Joe, but he's my main man. If, he doesn't like someone then it can never work out," I say feeling really bad. He jerks his head toward Russ.

"You and that guy seeing each other now, then?" Joe asks looking at Russ.

"No, he's just an old friend who's visiting," I say with a smile. "He lives in Boston."

"Well, I'll see you around Cupcake," Joe replies placing a kiss on my forehead. I whisper goodbye and he walks off. I walk back over to Russ who's holding the pizzas.

"I guess Alex decided that he needed to go to the pound," Russ comments with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, Alex didn't like that puppy," I say. It's sad that he didn't take a liking to Joe, but I know there's no changing his mind. We head out with the pizza and get back to the house. Everyone else is already inside.

"Pizza!" Manny hollers as he gets sight of us. I set the pizza on the bar and leave it for people to dig in. I grab the paper plates and paper cups and put them out.

"Do you have your suitcase packed?" I ask my son a couple days later as we're getting ready to fly to Boston. We're heading there first. We're dropping off Russ and his skip and then we're touring RangeMan Boston. The jet is leaving a ten and it's currently nine thirty. We're getting last minute things packed.

"I'm ready Mama! Can we go now?" he begs with his suitcase dragging behind him. I smile.

"Yep, let me just go grab my coffee," I tell him. I have already put my suitcase by the door. I stop by the kitchen to get my coffee and I hear Alex thumping behind me. We then roll out to the garage and head over to RangeMan. We're meeting Les there and then we're car pooling to the private airport.

"This is so cool!" Alex says once we pick up Les and are in front of the company jet. We pile out of the car and get our luggage on.

"Wait, until you see Miami," Les tells us as we sit on the plane. We're waiting for Russ. We're a bit early, so it's no big deal.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm sorry I haven't been getting to them, but I've been kind of busy. Not long now, until Ranger comes back. :)_  
><em>

_Disclaimer: I only own the two named Boston RangeMen, Logan and Russ. Oh, and how could I forget Alex._

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 11<span>

Russ arrives five minutes later escorting a guy in cuffs. Russ puts the guy in the back of the plane and comes to sit with us. The plane ride doesn't seem to take long and the next thing I know, we're landing in Boston. We get off the plane and say our goodbyes to Russ, who after this, is going separate ways.

"I'll come visit sometime, sweetheart," he says with a smile. He then looks down at my son.

"You be good to any puppy your mama brings home, okay?" Alex giggles.

"Okay. Bye bye!" Russ kisses me on the cheek and leaves with his skip. Les stands beside me.

"Now, the official tour begins! To RangeMan Boston," he tells us in a voice that makes me think of a sports reporter. Les takes us through the city of Boston to a pretty building.

"This building has been here since the Boston Tea Party," he informs us as we park. We head up. I'm impressed. The inside has been renovated but, you can still see the original architecture. He takes us to the third floor and it's bustling. It's different from the Trenton office. This office has more white noise.

"Logan Michael is the guy in charge of this office," Les tells me. "Let's go say hi. He should be expecting us." We walk through and I make sure I have Alex's hand. I don't want him wandering off. We get to a door with a name plate that reads Michael beside it. Les knocks before cracking the door open.

"Well, if it isn't Mo Lester!" a voice from inside calls. I look up at Les.

"How ever did you get that nickname?" It truly is a horrible nickname. Les grins.

"I'm a known ladies man." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"That doesn't explain the name. Who wants to be known as a molester?" I question with a raised eyebrow. He shrugs.

"I don't want to be known like that, but that's what they call me," he explains before heading inside. We follow suit and I see the contract wasn't broken. Even in RangeMan Boston they hire hot guys. There must be a requirement. Unlike many of the guys in Trenton the guy sitting in front of us is not Latino. My guess is Swedish but really it could be any Scandinavian country. He has light blond hair with a matching beard. He has extremely pretty light blue eyes. He's also well built. Where do they find these guys? I smile. He stands to greet us.

"Hello, I'm Stephanie Plum and this is my son Alex," I introduce, shaking his hand. He smiles, showing me his impeccably white teeth.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Plum, I'm Logan Michael, head of RangeMan Boston," he says with a smile. He sticks his hand out to Alex. Alex looks at him funny but shakes his hand.

"It's ms. but please call me Stephanie or Steph," I tell him. He nods and motions for the seats in front of his desk. Les and I sit down and Alex decides to sit on my lap. Mr. Michael smiles and takes his own seat.

"It's nice to have you here...Stephanie. I've heard many great things about you. I'd love to see some of the things that have improved the Trenton office. Tank said you could show me," he says with a smile. I nod.

I go over what I helped improve in Trenton and then he asked if I'd help pick the female staff. I agreed and we went over it. Alex got bored and decided to go roam the halls, with Les watching over him. As I'm looking over the choices he speaks.

"I never though Lester was one to settle down, but he picked well," he said. I took it as a compliment.

"We're not together. He's just a friend," I explain. He raises his eyebrow in question.

"But, isn't he Alex's father?" he asks, clearly confused. I smile and shake my head.

"No, he's not Alex's father. I haven't seen his father in nine years," I say. He looks a tad bit uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for prying," he apologizes. I wave my hand through the air.

"It's okay. Alex doesn't even know his father," I say with a shrug. I am deeply sorry I couldn't find his father.

"You mean his dad just up and left?" Logan questions. I shake my head.

"No, nothing like that. It's kind of embarrassing actually. See, I didn't know his father very well, his name is Carlos, by the way," I say.

"You don't have to tell me," Logan tells me, not wanting me to be uncomfortable.

"It's okay. I've only ever told one person," I inform him. "Well, his dad got called away by the military before I even knew I was pregnant. I didn't even know his last name, but we were in love. Anyways, it was my fault Alex will never meet his father." Logan puts his hand on mine.

"It's not your fault. I'm sure it was rough and you had just met after all," he says without judgment.

"It feels like it is though, but I deal with it," I tell him. "Now how about we get back to those choices?" He nods and before we can do anything there's a loud crash outside the office. We both run to the door and look out. A whole row of bookcases is knocked down. I see Alex standing in front of them.

"Alexander Carlos Plum! Get your butt over here right now!" I yell at my son who looks scared. He walks over with his head down. Les comes jogging up and all the guys are starring.

"Beautiful, it wasn't his fault," Les tells me. I glare at Lester. He was supposed to be watching Alex.

"Sorry Mama. I didn't mean to," he says as tears run down his cheeks.

"Get back to work!" Logan shouts at the men coming to watch the spectacle. "You guys can use my office." I grab Alex's hand and we head into the office. Les follows.

"What happened out there?" I demand looking between the two of them. It was breaking my heart to see Alex cry, but he needed to know he couldn't just destroy things.

"We were playing tag and the bookcase was home base. I was trying to get Alex when he ran into it full on," Lester explained. "It was my fault. All the guys were playing too, so don't get mad at him." I sigh. I don't want to be mad at either of them, but someone was responsible.

"Les, I expected you to make sure this didn't happen," I say and I look over at Alex. "And, you should know not to listen to your Uncle's crazy ideas." It's then that I crack a smile. RangeMan has insurance and they're not going to be hurting for money if they have to buy new ones. I wrap Alex in a hug.

"I'm really sorry Mama," he says. I stroke his head. "I know sweetie." Les comes up and joins the group hug.

"I'm sorry Steph, it was a bad idea." I smile and nod.

Logan assured me that nothing was badly damaged. We finished out the rest of the day and we got back on the jet at eight. I had helped them decide which females to pick and gave them some pointers. We were now headed to Miami. Alex's eyes started drooping and he fell asleep with his head on my lap. I joined him a few minutes later.

I woke to Les gently shaking me. It was almost twelve. I have Les pick up Alex who is still asleep. I grab the bags and we get into the RangeMan vehicle. It heads to the RangeMan building. We get inside and Lester shows us our room.

In the morning I wake up at nine. I get dressed and wake up Alex. When Alex is in the shower there's a knock on the door. I open it to find Les holding two coffees. He hands one to me and takes a seat on the bed.

"I figured you would want to sleep in. I've already checked in with Silvio. He's ready whenever you are," Les informs me before looking around. "Where's Alex?"

"Bathroom. I'm ready. Thanks for the coffee," I say. "Would you want to take Alex to the beach while I'm working with Silvio? I could meet you guys there later." Les grins.

"Sure! That sounds like fun." I knew he would like the idea. I leave Les with Alex and head to Silvio's office.

We work almost all day, but I leave at three. I call Lester and he tells me where they are. I use the GPS in the car and find the beach with little difficulty. I call Les again and find him making a sand castle with Alex. It's a beautiful day and the waves are nice. I sit down next to the boys and enjoy the new scenery. We hang out at the beach until four thirty and then we go and eat dinner. We head back to the building and get our stuff. We leave around seven thirty. We get back to Trenton and go home.


	12. Chapter 12

Thought some of you might like this early. At long last. ;)_  
><em>

_Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JE. _

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12<span>**  
><strong>

**Two Months Later**

**Ranger's POV**

After being debriefed I head for home. Fina-fucking-ly! I wasn't gone a whole year but it was close enough. Thank God that was my last mission. I didn't sign up again. I'm getting too old for that shit even if I'm only thirty two. I get to the RangeMan building around nine in the morning. I didn't inform Tank I was coming home today because I want it to be a semi-surprise. I want to see the new chick and see if she's as efficient as Tank says. While I'm in the elevator I check my messages. I have three from Jeanne. I thought I told her not to call. She said we needed to meet up when I was in town again. Yeah, right. I delete the messages and come up on the fourth floor. I hear running.

"You can't catch me!" I hear the taunt right before something crashes into me. I look down to see a little boy dressed in a RangeMan uniform. Did someone bring their nephew? He looks up with wide eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you," he says shyly and Les comes up behind. He stops in his tracks when he sees me.

"Ranger." I raise an eyebrow as the child steps back towards Lester. They look similar. Did his sister have a kid I didn't know about?

"This isn't a daycare Santos. Leave your nephew at home next time," I comment before walking toward the control room. The first thing I see are black three inch heels attached to the best legs I've ever seen. My eyes follow and see that it's attached to a body. A woman with curly brown hair that goes down to the middle of her back. She talking to Binkie about something and he's grinning. The little boy runs past me.

"Mama, Mama!" He rushes to the beautiful woman. I can't believe she's had a kid. She turns and I only see the side of her face.

"Alex, I'm busy right now sweetie," she tells him. I realize this must be the new employee.

"But, there's a new guy! He looks like..." He tugs on her skirt and points at me. She turns to look at me. It's like time stops. I only see her shimmering azure eyes. They widen in surprise and her mouth pops open. I'm frozen. I can't do anything but stare. Right in front of me is _my_ Stephanie. From nine years ago.

"Mama?" The single word snaps her out of her stupor. Lester comes up beside me.

"What's up with you?" he questions. She tears her eyes away from me to look at her son. I look over. He looks eight or nine. I last saw her nine years ago. My eyes dart between the two of them. A single word escapes my lips.

"Mine?" She looks over at me and nods. I sink to my knees. I have a son. A son with the woman I love. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I hear Lester yelling my name, but I don't respond. It's not until I feel her soft hands on my face do I open my eyes.

"Carlos," she whispers lowering her face to mine. She kisses me. It's better than I remember. It's better than my dreams. I finally found the woman I've been looking for for nine years. Right in my very office. The one Tank was so quick to defend. She moans and I pull her closer. She pulls back and rests her forehead against mine. I stare into her eyes. There's no mistake or confusion. I've found her. I'm whole again.

"Babe." A tear rolls down her cheek and I wipe it away with my thumb. Her hand brushes across my face.

"It's really you?" she questions. I nod and gather her in my arms. I stand up in one swift motion. I'm home. Every fiber in my being is telling me that I should never let her go. I realize that we're making a scene in front of all the guys. I set her down. Lester must have taken my son into a different room. He needed a raise. He also seemed to have cleared all the guys out.

"I have a son?" She looks up at me with a smile.

"Yes, he reminds me of you," she tells me. "He's been wanting to meet you." I look at her. How has she done it? I would have been there for her. I'm only glad I can be there now.

"I've been wanting to find you," I say with a smile. She looks at me sadly and sighs.

"I should have gotten your last name," she tells me looking at the floor. I tilt her chin up and look into her blue eyes.

"I should have found out your last name," I say. "It's neither of our faults. We were young and stupid." She nods.

"Shall I go introduce you?" she questions looking into my eyes. "I'd understand if you didn't...want to." Her voice cracks. I squeeze her hand.

"Of course I want to meet him. He's my son." She smiles and nods. She pulls me toward the other room.

* * *

><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

I was talking to Binkie about monitoring a house when I heard Alex. I thought Les was watching him so I could get some work done.

"Mama! Mama!" he shouts running over to me. I try to apologize to him and he just grins and nods. I feel Alex pull on my skirt. I look at him a tad bit annoyed. He can't just interrupt me when I'm working.

"Alex, I'm busy right now sweetie," I say to him. I'm trying to keep my cool. I just can't wait until winter break is over and he's back at school.

"But, there's a new guy! He looks like..." he says not finishing his sentence. He's pointing at someone. I turn and time seems to slow, like they always say it does when you see the love of your life. My eyes widen and my mouth pops open. There he is. A work of art. A masterpiece, one I've been trying to acquire for nine years. I study him and the only difference between him and the one nine years ago are the lines on his face. He's definitely older, but in a good way. Alex brings me out of the frozen state I was in.

"Mama?" I look up at Carlos and see him putting the pieces together. He looks at me with his piercing brown eyes.

"Mine?" I do the only thing I can, I nod. Words won't form. My mouth is suddenly dry. The man I've been searching for for nine years is suddenly in front of me. And, it turns out he's my boss...I mean partner. I see Carlos sink to his knees and close his eyes. I rush over to him. I motion to Lester who's yelling at Carlos. He stops and clears the room. I kneel in front of him and place my hands on his face. He slowly opens his eyes.

"Carlos," I murmur before kissing him. My dreams have never compared. I've only imagined I'd see him again. And, I only dreamed that I would be with him once again. It's a dream come true. Alex has a father, and I have the other half of my heart.

"Babe." His single word of endearment brings me back to nine years ago and a tear rolls down my cheek. He brushes it away and I'm left wondering if it's really him.

"It's really you?" I ask that sounds more like a plead. It has to be him, oh let this be real. If it isn't, my heart is sure to shatter all over again. He nods and pulls me into a tight embrace. He stands up and keeps a tight hold on me.

"I have a son?" he questions. I smile up at the love of my life.

"Yes, he reminds me of you," I say to him. "He's been wanting to meet you." We both wonder how we could have lost each other. He is right. We were young and stupid. I was only twenty two at the time. Now, I'm thirty one and nine years wiser. When I ask him if he wants to meet our son, I'm scared. Scared that he won't want to be a part of his life. That he never wanted a son in the first place. He erases those worries by agreeing to meet him. Oh, Alex will be so happy. I grab his hand and start to pull him to the other room.

* * *

><p><strong>Lester's POV<strong>

To see Ranger back was a shock. I figured he would have called to inform us when he'd be arriving. I felt bad for Alex when he ran into the scary monster. Ranger said some words about my 'nephew'. I just hope he won't be like that to Steph. I'm supposed to be watching Alex while she talks to Binkie about something. I always love taking care of the kid. Especially when we work on my old car on Saturdays or on the humongous puzzle that's currently taking up my kitchen floor. The scene that unfolded in front of me was shocking. Steph and Ranger _knew_ each other. In fact I was picking up that Ranger's a dad and he didn't even know it. How could Steph never have told me? Better yet, how did I never figure it out? Two looks at Alex and he's a dead ringer for Ranger. We're all so blind. Ranger falls to his knees and I think he might have blacked out. I call his name and see Steph motion to me. I clear the room and grab Alex. Whatever's happening, Steph can take care of it.

"What's going on with Mama?" Alex asks when we get into conference room A. I sigh, how do I explain this to him?

"Well, her and Ranger have a history. I guess they haven't seen each other in a while," I explain as best I can. "I'm sure we'll know more once they come in here." He looks up at me.

"Is he my daddy?" He just blurts it out like that was the only way he'd ever say it out loud. I sigh. How the hell am I supposed to answer this?

"I…don't know," I tell the kid as I pull him into a hug. We can't hear anything that's going on out there, but I can only hope everything is okay. I see shadows outside the door. This is it. I look at Alex, who's noticed it too. The door opens slowly and Steph pokes her head in.

* * *

><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

I stick my head into the conference room and see Alex sitting with Lester. I smile and do a tiny finger wave. I walk in slowly with Carlos holding my hand slightly behind me.

"Could we talk to Alex alone, please?" I request the room full of all the men who were just working. They all nod. Everyone leaves the room except for Alex. He looks extremely terrified. I try to reassure him with a smile. He still looks unsure.

"Alex, sweetie, I have some great news," I tell him. I go up and give him a hug. He looks up at me.

"It's him, isn't it?" For a nine year old he sure picks things up fast. I nod.

"It's him," I say. "He's your daddy. We found him Alex, we found him." I then burst into tears. Nine years. Alex has wanted to meet his father for so long. It's almost like a dream. Alex looks up at Carlos. Carlos gets on his knees and opens his arms. Alex runs to him and gives him a hug. Tears stream down my face as I watch father and son reconnect. Alex needs this so badly. I close my eyes and thank God for this miracle. I go over and join them for a group hug. We stay there for a couple of minutes. There's a slight rap on the door and Les pokes his head in. We stand up.

"Alex, you should come hang out with me while your parents talk," Les tells my son. How he knew to do this I have no idea. I see Carlos looks relieved. Alex looks between the two of us. I nod and he runs to his uncle. Carlos looks at me when the door shuts. I'm leaning against the table watching the way his muscles ripple when he breathes. He stalks over to me and places his hands on either side of me using the table for support. My breathing increases and I inhale his delectable scent. He presses against me and his hot mouth is on mine in an instant. My hands tangle in his hair, pressing him closer to me. He lifts me up so I'm sitting on the table and he's standing in between my legs. He pops a couple buttons off my shirt in his struggle to get it off. My hands fumble to get his shirt off. When my shirt is deposited on the other side of the room his mouth is on me. Everywhere, leaving a trail of heat. My nails rake against his back and I try to pull him even closer. Before I know it, my bra has joined the pile. I manage to undo his belt, but I falter when he takes my peaked nipple in his mouth. I moan louder as he tugs it. Desire is building up and I feel the heat. I can see him straining against the fabric of his jeans and I hurry to strip him of his clothes. We're in a frenzy, neither able to get our fill of each other. He flicks his thumb over my nipple and it hardens even more. He finishes getting his pants off and then works on my skirt. That's gone in an instant and we're filled with raw need. A trail of fire is burning me as his hands skim across my skin bringing goose bumps. I look into his darkened eyes and pull him closer.

"I need you now," I moan as one of his fingers slips inside me. He pulls me up for a kiss before replacing his finger with the real thing. I cry out as he slides in and out. His pace is steadily increasing and my legs are wrapped around him, trying to make him go further. I shut my eyes as the pleasure rolls through me.

"Look at me Stephanie," he says and I open mine to meet his. "Dios, I love you." We climax together and he holds me.

"Carlos, I love you so much," I whisper. He presses a kiss to my forehead.


	13. Chapter 13

The dream part of this chapter is what happened when I watched Inception before writing this. So, it's a little odd. Awesome movie though.

Next chapter is the last one. :(

_Disclaimer: I only own the ones you don't recognize. :)_

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 13<span>

**Steph's POV**

The next few days pass in a blur as we try to figure out a routine. Carlos has been staying with us, and Alex is just overjoyed. I'm happy too, but I'm worried about the next time he'll be called on a mission. We were talking about it one night over dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. We're sitting next to each other and he's rubbing circles on my back as we talk. It was nice to catch up. After all, it's been nine years.

"I'm glad I found you now," he says with a smile that lights up the room. It's really hard to concentrate as a path of fire seems to ignite where his fingers go. My eyes are slightly closed and I feel a burning low in my stomach.

"Mmm," I murmur not able to form words at the moment. His eyes turn darker, if that's possible. He leans close to me and brushes his lips against the shell of my ear.

"Babe, do we need to skip dessert?" he questions his breath hot in my ear. I turn to him and he plants a kiss on my lips. I moan and scoot closer. I look at him and smile.

"Oh, I plan on having dessert," I tell him and he knows exactly what I'm talking about. He grabs the check and we're out of the restaurant in less than five minutes later. His hands are all over me and the fire spreads as his fingers slide up my thigh. I can tell he's having trouble concentrating on the way home. I can't keep my hands off of him. He parks quickly and is pulling me inside. Good thing Alex is with my parents. He picks me up and goes to the bedroom. He's on top of me and my panties are gone. He presses a kiss on my lips and slides my dress above my head. I tug his shirt up and my hands explore the contours of his chest. He undoes my bra quickly and I'm fumbling for his belt buckle. I feel like I'm on fire. The burning sensation has spread throughout my whole body and I'm a live wire. He drives me insane as he takes his time. He presses kisses on my shoulders. He flicks his thumb across a nipple and I moan. My hands are tangled in his hair and he slides into me slowly.

"Carlos," I pant, feeling like I've finally come home. He looks into my eyes and his are totally black.

"Babe," he whispers moving my hair out of my face. He kisses me once more before driving me home. We make love countless more times. Afterward I'm laying entangled with him feeling like a gooey marsh-mellow. I'm so relaxed and at peace. It's hasn't been this good since nine years ago, unless you count a couple days ago when we saw each other again. I smile finally happy that my man is home.

"It's a great thing I'll never have to go out for a mission again," he tells me drawing lazy circles on my shoulder.

"You don't?" I ask feeling relief flood through me. That had been one of my biggest worries.

"I just got back from my last one," he says, pressing a kiss on my forehead. I sigh and snuggle into his warm embrace. I drift asleep to him whispering to me in Spanish.

The next day at dinner I plan to ask Carlos to officially move in with us. Alex already said yes exclamation point. Now, we just had to invite him. He's been staying a lot in the past few days, but this would be more permanent. The day flies by quickly and the next thing I know, Carlos is agreeing to move in with us.

After dinner we head to the living room and Alex picks a movie for us to watch. He picks Cars and we all snuggle up on the couch together. I lay my head on Carlos' shoulder and have my arm around Alex. Once the movie is over Alex goes and gets into his pajamas while Carlos and I get ready for bed. We both go and tuck Alex in before heading to the bedroom. I sink into the crook of his arm and drift off to sleep.

_I'm free falling into a dark abyss. My heart is pounding and I can hear it in my ears. Suddenly, I stop and hover right above the floor. I get dropped to the floor and I stand up. I look around and find myself in my bedroom. I see myself sleeping on my bed, the other side rumpled and empty. Alex walks and the hard wood floor vibrates. My eyes are drawn to it and I see the true texture, the lines ingrained into the wood. I look up to see Alex's hurt filled brown eyes. He looks almost zombie like. His arm raises slowly and his pointer finger uncurls. He's pointing directly to the empty side of my bed. I roll over in my sleep and grab the air next to me. Alex continues to point, tears filling his eyes. I'm trying to connect the dots. I hear thumping again and it's like an invisible man is walking out of the room. The wood vibrates as I come closer to the truth. The footsteps grow louder and I turn to see the bedroom door. There's a dark outline in it. I turn back to my son and see that I have woken up. Tears are falling from both of our faces. With a loud bang I hear the door slam shut. I jump and look back. The door is closed and I'm crying against it. I look over at my son who has tears falling off his face. He opens his mouth and utters two words and suddenly everything is crystal clear. _

_ "Where's Daddy?" _

I jolt from my sleep. I can feel the sweat soaked through my pajamas. I look at the other side of the bed only to find it empty and rumpled. Where did Carlos go? Feeling panic rise up in my chest, afraid that my son won't have a father again, my damp feet hit the hard wood with a soft thud. It's quieter than my heart. I hear the thumping in my ears and it's in tune with my footsteps as I make my way to my son's room. I try and calm myself but dread has filled the pit of my stomach. I am so sure that Carlos walked out like he did before. That's not what I mean. He never walked out. I find it hard to convince a part of myself that he didn't walk out. In my head I know that he had no choice, but it feels like he just left. I creep up to my son's door. I want to see him peaceful one last time before he realizes his daddy truly didn't want him. My hand grasps the doorknob and it turns slowly. I hold my breath as I peek into the room. My eyes scan it and find moonlight filtering in and shining on Alex's face. His breathing is even and face so peaceful. I jump when I hear a tired voice.

"Babe?" My breath leaves me in a whoosh. My eyes find the corner Carlos had been sitting in. I can see the bags under his eyes from here.

"What are you doing in here?" My heart has finally slowed, knowing that he didn't leave us. He stands up quietly and the bottom of his pajama pants almost hits the floor. He walks over to me and wraps his arms around me.

"I couldn't sleep. I came in here and got distracted," he tells me in a whisper before his eyes cut over to our son. "He's so peaceful and quiet when he sleeps." I sigh and lean against him.

"Yes, he is. Come back to bed?" He nods and follows me back to our room. We lay down together and I fall into an uneasy sleep.

In the morning I wake to the ringing of a phone. My eyes open slowly and I hear the shower running. It's Carlos' phone. I debate about leaving it but then decide it could be important. I roll over and grab the phone.

"Hello?" I ask trying to wake up a bit more. I even move so I'm sitting up.

"Hello," I feminine voice purrs. Wrong number? Who would be calling his phone this early in the morning?

"Who is this?" I question as I stand up and stretch.

"Jeanne, where's Ranger?" the voice says. Maybe it's his sister. Right, like I believe that.

"In the shower. May I ask why you're calling? I can take a message," I tell her.

"Listen, sweetheart, I'm sure he makes you feel all good, like you're the only one he'll ever look at. That's all a huge load of shit. He always comes crawling back to me," she drawls like only a true bitch can.

"I don't know who you think you are, but just so you know, I'm the one with Carlos now. I don't think he'll be in need of your services any longer. You might as well stop calling," I tell her. She must care for Carlos, but I don't think she ever meant much to him. I love him and he loves me. The past is the past. I know he'll never leave even if a part of me questions it. He wouldn't have still remembered me if he didn't. I flip the phone closed.

"Who was it?" Carlos asks from the bathroom doorway. I look over and he's only wearing a small white towel around his waste.

"Someone named Jeanne, but don't worry. I took care of it," I inform him with a smile. I walk over to him and put my hand on his chest. He raises an eyebrow.

"Did you now?" he murmurs his eyes on my mouth. "Mmhm, I don't think she'll be calling anymore." He wraps a curl of my hair around his finger.

"Well, I hope so, but she never listened to me." His voice seems to be taking on a deep timbre. His eyes follow the v of my night gown. My fingers crawl up his chest, swiping away any loose water droplets. He surprises me with one quick motion when he's bending me over this arm and planting a scorching kiss on me. I moan and he takes us over to the bed. I pull him closer when I hear it.

"Mama? Why is Daddy on top of you?" Alex's little voice calls from the doorway. Carlos freezes and I feel the blush creep up on my face.

"We were just...wrestling!" I say quickly feeling my face lit on fire from embarrassment. Carlos rolls off of me and grabs his pants from off the floor.

"Why were you wrestling?" he asks coming closer and I see his brow wrinkled. I bite my lip and look to Carlos. I'm just glad he managed to get his jeans on without too much attention. Carlos goes up to Alex and picks him up while tickling him.

"Because my son, it's very fun!" He then deposits Alex on the bed. Alex is giggling like crazy and try to ward off Carlos.

"Daddy," he giggles, "stop it!" He laughs some more before deciding to launch a counter attack. Alex tries to get out of his grip and manages before jumping on Carlos' back. I hope they'll be okay.

"I'm going to go get some breakfast made," I tell the two boys as I head downstairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Carlos' POV<strong>

Alex walking in on us was unexpected, to say the least. Luckily we got it turned around. I've never lived with a child before. This is new territory. I've never seen Steph look so embarrassed, of course, I haven't been around long enough to. That's changing though. The more I'm with her the more I seem to fall in love. It's crazy. I always thought that attaining what I wanted would get boring, but it's a surprise everyday. I can take today as an example. I can say I may never have experienced a greater joy than when I had a tickle fight. Me, a grown man, having a tickle fight. Who would have thought? To hear Alex laughing because of me. I never expected to have a son, let alone one that I'd never met for nine years. Somehow this all worked out, because I found the love of my life and there's a present with her. I can't believe I never knew. She was so close all this time. Now, she's going to have to tell me to back off, because that's the only way it'll ever happen. A couple months ago I never would have thought I'd be living this life, never thought this could be achieved. Perfect happiness. Contentment. I never knew I could feel like this. Heading downstairs to the kitchen seeing my wife- hold up wait a minute. Wife? Where had that come from? We haven't even talked about it yet. I don't know why not, I'd have no problem. I smile at the thought. Wife and son. Good God, I've changed. I look over at Stephanie making pancakes with our son and I know that I'll never want anything else. I walk over and wrap my arm around her waist, giving her a kiss on the cheek.


	14. Chapter 14

Last chapter. I hope you like it. I'm not sure about it myself, so tell me what you think. Thanks for sticking with me! :)

_Disclaimer: JE owns most of these characters. Anyone that you cannot recognize from the books is mine._

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 14<span>

**One Month Later**

**Steph's POV**

"Congrats Beautiful," Les says as we dance across the floor. Carlos and I eloped but decided to have a small reception.

"Thank you," I say. "You seem to be doing pretty good yourself." My eyes cut over to Connie who's currently dancing with Joe. Les and Connie have been seeing each other for a couple months now and Les is thinking about popping the question. Tank has already asked Lula and I'm scheduled to be a bridesmaid next week. It's a merry marrying of merry men. Try saying that three times fast. Bobby also seemed to be doing well in that department too, by the looks of my glowing old college roomie/lawyer. Things seemed to be going well all around. Joe got married last month to a girl from Philly who transferred to the hospital. They're expecting twins in September. Even Grandma Mazur found someone. She moved into the old folks home with him. My parents have never been happier. Carlos cuts in and takes me from Les. I lay my head on his shoulder.

"I love you Babe," he says tilting his head back to look me in the eyes. I smile.

"I love you too Batman," I murmur leaning back into my great smelling safe haven. I love this man with all my heart. I close my eyes and listen to his heartbeat.

* * *

><p><strong>One Year Later<strong>

**Ranger's POV**

I grab the newspaper on the way inside after my morning run. I scan the front as I head into the kitchen. On the side is a marriage announcement and the name catches my eye. I flip to the page and stare incredulously. In big bold letters is Jeanne Ellen Burrow and Richard Orr. Jeanne getting married. It's almost laughable, but people change...I guess. I lay the paper down on the table and go over to Steph and Alex. They're making pancakes and it reminds me of a scene one year ago, when I decided I wanted to marry her. I walk over and put an arm around her. Leaving my hand on her stomach. I lean down and give a kiss to my unborn child. I then plant one on her.

"Smells good, what kind are we having this morning?" I ask, knowing that they can come up with some funky pancakes. They both smile.

"Cinnamon and banana," Alex tells me. I grin. Those are the family favorite. Steph smiles at me and my breathing stops for a moment. This scene right here is what I never knew I was waiting for. They finish making the pancakes and we're about to sit down when the door opens and Santos walks in. Alex's face lights up.

"Uncle Lester!" he says with a grin. It's funny how Les was his uncle before I was even in the picture. He's related to us, but he's not exactly Alex's uncle, but that doesn't really matter.

**Eighteen Years Later**

"Congratulations Ari," I say wrapping my daughter in a hug. She's graduating high school. I can't believe it's been so long. It went by so fast. Alex is already married to a girl from his college. It's crazy. I never would have thought I'd be standing here. With a daughter or a son, for that matter.

"Thanks Dad," she says with a smile that is so much like her mother's. She walks off to go talk to someone when I feel someone slip their arms around my waist. I smile.

"She's grown up so fast," Steph murmurs as she leans her head against my shoulder.

"I know. How am I supposed to keep the boys away from her when she's going to college?" I ask. Steph rolls her eyes.

"That won't help anything, you know," she tells me. "Besides, you do that well enough already." Damien Morelli walks up to my daughter and starts talking to her.

"Not well enough," I mutter slightly angry that he'd have the nerve. He's almost two years older than her. Steph puts a hand on my arm.

"You don't want to upset your daughter, or she might never visit," she tells me. I watch the exchange and he puts his hand on her arm.

"Dad, are you seeing this?" Alex asks coming up to my right. He's talking about Ari. I nod stiffly.

"Shall I go intervene?" he questions. Steph huffs.

"Honestly! She's an adult now," my wife says. Angie, Alex's wife, comes up.

"What's going on?" she asks her eyes going between all of us. Then she focuses on Ari and rolls her eyes.

"You guys aren't honestly thinking about going to break that up, are you?" she questions with a raised eyebrow. Alex shrugs sheepishly and plants a kiss on her forehead.

"'Course not, sweetie pie," he says with a grin. She just shakes her head. She was a good choice. Doesn't put up with his bullshit. Steph grins.

* * *

><p><strong>Steph's POV<strong>

Ari's graduating already. Blows my mind how quickly time can pass. Seems like only yesterday we had just found out I was pregnant. Ariana Ellen Manoso. Now she's on her way to college. I'm pretty sure she's in love too. With Joe Morelli's son, of all people. Damien may be two years older, but what does that really matter? Carlos is almost two years older. I've seen couples with larger age differences. She's happy talking to him. I can't believe the nerve of my son and husband. Trying to scare the boy off. Ari comes back over to us.

"I can't believe I graduated. I'm going to Rutger's in the fall," she says with a smile. It is hard to believe. I give her a hug.

"I'm so proud of you," I say a tear leaking out of my eye. I wipe it away and pull back.

"You should go talk to Grandma and Grandpa," I say ushering her over to my parents. Before she gets there her Uncle Lester butts in.

"Ari! Congratulations! Party at my house!" he says like the goofball he is. She just grins and thanks him. Alex comes up beside him and claps him on the back.

"I think you just embarrassed her!" he says with a grin. "Good job." Carlos puts his arm around me and I lean into his chest. These last twenty years have been some of the best in my life. It's like the missing piece of the puzzle finally fell into place making everything perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>Eight Years Later<strong>

**Ari's POV**

Growing up in the Manoso household was an experience. With a protective older brother and father. Not to mention all the guys at RangeMan. I knew I was loved all the time. My mom, she's amazing, really. How she ever got anything done working there, I'll never know. They were always surrounding her. And, my dad, he has some serious issues. Sometimes he just needs to back off. I love him too. It's just how he showed his love. Other than reading me bedtime stories he never let me get a second date. Unless you count Damien. Damien was persistent to say the least, but he wasn't scared away by my father. If, he had been scared, I think I might still be single today. I look over at my husband who's driving down to Trenton for Christmas. We'll be seeing both of our families. We live in upstate New York. He ended up getting a job offer and it was hard to refuse. That was a year after we got married. So, I went with him. I found a teaching position that I really like. There's nothing like coming home though. Damien grabs my hand and just holds it. He's still so sweet, even after four years of marriage. What he doesn't know though, is that we have a baby on the way. It's his Christmas present. I know he'll be super excited. We park in the driveway and head up to the house. I see Mom convinced Dad to put up the outside lights. We walk inside and Bobbi runs to greet us. Sometime after I graduated high school Mom got my dad to get a dog for the house. Damien grabs my bag and heads up to my old room, where we'll be staying. I can hear the Christmas music playing from the kitchen.

"Carlos, the kids will be here soon," I hear my mom say with a giggle. Oh, no.

"Relax babe," his voice sounds. I open the kitchen door and see them kissing.

"Get a room you two! Jeez," I say going to get a yogurt from the fridge. Mom blushes but Dad just grins.

"Not a bad idea," he says moving his eyebrows up and down. I know they do it, but I don't want proof.

"Ew! Just ugh...stop it!" I say. "When is Alex coming over?" Mom leans into Dad's chest as we chat.

"He'll be here around six as well as the Morelli's," she says. "Karen's making pot roast. I'm in charge of the potatoes and I believe Angie is making a vegetable dish," she informs me. I nod. I can't wait to see my little niece and nephew. They were born two months ago. Twins. James Lester and Marie Michelle Manoso. Damien comes down and wraps his arm around me. I know how Mom and Dad feel because it's exactly what I'm feeling. Completeness. The feeling of being home.

My brother and his family arrive a little later. I head straight for the two adorable babies. Angie is holding Marie while I hold little Jamie. Soon enough Damien and I will have a little one. I look at my husband who is laughing at something my brother said. I hand Jamie over to Damien and give my big brother a hug.

"Welcome home Sis," he greets with a smile. He looks so much like Dad, it's crazy.

"Thanks bro, how's being a daddy?" I ask as he looks at his two kids. He grins.

"Well, if they would sleep through the night, it might be better," he says. "But, I can't remember what life without them was like." My in laws arrive shortly after my brother. I give Joe and Karen hugs. It's funny to think that everything could have turned out different and Mom and Joe would be married. I'm glad Alex nipped that in the bud, otherwise I might not be here. We all sit down for dinner and I can't help thinking that this is how it should be. If, someone looked in our window right now, they'd see a perfectly happy family. Sure, there are bumps along the way, but when we love each other, anything can be accomplished. Tomorrow is going to be chaos- the Manoso way. Everyone shows up then. Even Dad's parents are scheduled to come up. I know Alex is looking forward to seeing Uncle Les and our cousins.

* * *

><p><strong>Christmas Day<strong>

**Steph's POV**

Our house is full with family. Carlos' family and mine. There's kids and grandchildren and great grandchildren. It's funny to think that years ago I never would have thought any of this possible. I take a look at my husband. He has gray in his once all black hair and more lines on his face. He aged well though. With Christmas music playing softly in the background everyone is opening presents. It's an exclamation from Damien that has us all interested.

"Oh my God," he says loudly looking at the opened package in his hand. He looks up at everybody. "I'm going to be a Daddy!" He grins before scooping Ari into his arms. I smile and look at Carlos. Now we'll have another grandchild to spoil.

Once everything is winding down Carlos and I are standing on the porch, saying goodbye. His arm, as always, around my waist. I rest my head on his chest. We wave goodbye to the retreating cars. We move inside and as our front door closes Carlos tells me, "I love you Babe." I smile.

"I love you too Batman."

**The End**


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